We recently spent 2 weeks in Switzerland with ISM – International School of Mountaineering – to learn, and practice, ski touring. Ski touring is “skiing across open country, walking uphill on skis as well as skiing downhill.” Ski touring generally involves the use of skins, which are placed underneath skis to help the skis grip, so that you can hike uphill on them. The fur-like surface of skins flattens as you move uphill, allowing your skis to glide, but it grips to keep you from sliding back after each step. Ski touring has become very popular, especially among baby boomers, as it combines the love of skiing with a great (uphill) workout, and a dose of fresh air, often in places of great solitude and beauty, away from the crowds of the ski resorts.
We’re not the first to seek out ISM, who is by far the longest-established provider of Alpine courses to English-speaking clients….In the 1970’s, ISM was the base for the making of The Eiger Sanction. Clint Eastwood took the Alpine Introductory course and became so confident in mountaineering techniques that he insisted on doing his own stunts!
While we’re not planning to perform any movie stunts, we did get exposed to some elementary avalanche education and training that probably should be required for anyone planning to move to a mountain community, as we are next month (Whistler here we come!). We will definitely be taking more avalanche courses, though, as our friend said…” the problem with avalanche training is you find out the only place you’re safe is the parking lot!”
Arriving in Leysin Switzerland, we found a winter wonderland. Winter fog had painted every branch of every tree white.Temps weren’t as pretty the first few days… about -4 degrees Fahrenheit.Leysin is in Southwestern Switzerland, just off the eastern tip of Lake Geneva (also known as Lac Leman).Leysin is home to the Leysin American School, which rang a bell for us. Turns out this is where our friend, Reneé, cavorted for a couple of years in High School. What a playground for the students.We thought we saw Reneé’s initial’s carved into the doorway of one of the dorm rooms.
Pic Chaussy – the first mountain that we planned to ascend via touring skis. At 2354 m, it is a mid sized peak, great for a day trip. We practiced kick turns (see next pic) and learned that snow is warmer the further down you dig (closer to the earth’s hot core)… lessens we would have preferred to not be learning in -18 degrees Celsius, but luckily the temps warmed up in the coming days.A kick turn is useful in all terrain, but necessary on steep slopes for making a switch back corner. We didn’t believe our knees and hips would do this, and sometimes we looked like Bambi flailing around, but we eventually got the hang of kick turns.Our team – Rob from Dundee, Scotland, Kevin from the island of Jersey, Terry – our leader from ISM, Shauna, and Louisa from London.Guide Terry: “We are going to hike up that way.”Day 3, in Leukerbad, about to embark on a hike to the Lämmerenhütte. Leukerbad is an ancient Swiss village which has become a ski resort. It is also a jumping off point to hike – in winter only by snowshoes or skis – to the Lämmerenhütte – a newly renovated mountain hut about 5 kilometers away.After taking the cable car to its top stop above Leukerbad, we hiked/skated along along a wide valley toward the Lämmerenhütte.“Bootiful!!!!”At the end of the valley, we had a steep ascent up to the Lämmerenhütte. We stopped to adjust our clothing, and to put our ski crampons on.Ski crampons are the spiky metal pieces that go between your boot and the ski to help grip the side of a steep and/or icy slope.Kevin: “We are going to climb what???”…and climb we did…. …almost there….….until we reached the Lämmerenhütte.The Lämmerenhütte was originally built in 1991 and beautifully renovated in 2017.That afternoon, we scaled a local peak – the col by the Rote Toxt – from the Lämmerenhütte.We were happy to be there, but ready to go down…… even happier to ski down…..…back to… …the warmth of the Lämmerenhütte……and happy hour. Shauna serves as barmaid after returning to the Lämmerenhütte.After a night in the Lämmerenhütte, we are embarking to scale Wildstrubel, a 3,250 Meter peak.One of us is all smiles.It is warmer than the first two days, but still cold – about 5 – 10 degrees Fahrenheit.We needed to spread out a bit for avalanche control. We are hiking up through about 16″ of new snow.Toward the top, we “roped up” for safety. This was more of a practice for us since we weren’t in an area prone to crevasses. The idea is that if anyone falls down into a crevasse, the others would provide and anchor, and stop their fall. Everybody feeling secure now??Finally, after a 3.5 hour, 750m climb, we made it to the top of Wildstrubel.Then we turned around, removed our skins, locked our skis and ski boots, and began to ski down. It we clear that we were all powder challenged… except Terry (our ISM leader) who was a beautiful skier.We had a few spills on the way down…But down we came….all safe and sound and full of smiles and laughter.OK….final pic…..its cold out here!!We rose early the next morning to depart for Daubenhorn, another peak located near the Lämmerenhütte. Daubenhorn has the longest via ferrata – “secured climbing route” – in Switzerland.We look like little ants walking/skating up the mountain.The rising sun created an eerie glow off the snow.Almost “supernatural”.“I think I can, I think i can…..”Made the peak (or close to it) and ready to start descending. We didn’t quite beat the weather as we had hoped.Back at the lodge – the large wingspan of the Lammergeier, or Bearded Vulture. Too bad we didn’t see one in the air.With the first week under our belt, we returned to Leysin for a couple of nights. This is a view of the surrounding mountains shortly after sunrise.We hiked up to a famous local restaurant – Prafandaz.And were rewarded with this view of the next valley….…and this incredible forest mushroom “stew”.On our walk back to the hotel, we thought maybe we were in Texas!
