Euro hut trip beta

[alias_rice]

So earlier this week my dear wife hit me with this. "Why don't you do one of those European ski tours next year before you get too old?" Umm okay, don't mind if I do. So I've been looking around at a few options. At first I figured I'd do the Houte Route, but the more I look into it, the more I would prefer a little more ski oriented trip. I'm working on a partner or two, but most likely will be heading over solo, and will definitely do a guided trip. Whether private or group is still up in the air, but if I am solo, I'll probably join a group. Does anyone have any experience with either of these 2? Both seem pretty damn sweet to me, but am open to pretty much anything at this point.

https://www.proguiding.com/bernese-o...-traverse.html

https://www.ncmountainguides.com/adv...er-haute-route

[PNWbrit]

Not specifically about those trips but both outfits are great choices.

I know that Martin's local knowledge and contacts often allow him to be incredibly flexible if conditions for planned route aren't optimal.

Jeff is a great guide and super fun to ski with.

Both would be happy to discuss details and see if they realistically match your goals.

[doebedoe]

PM me if you want to talk going with someone else from the TGR boards. I'm targeting similar trip this year. Mostly have been focused on the Urner Haute route, and Buster recommended these guys: http://www.andermatt-guides.ch/EN/ur...ute-route.html

YMMV, but it seems to me like Swiss outfits are significantly cheaper than US-based ones.

One outstanding question is how to work around the first hut on the Urner being closed this winter (according to the huts website).

The other outstanding question is why are you selling those Praxis BCs that'd be perfect for this adventure.

[zion zig zag]

So are you talking 2019-2020?

[Buster Highmen]

Hit up Dan Loutrel: http://www.andermatt-guides.ch/EN/about.html

He knows a ton of cool options around central Switzerland. Great guy with a van who knows everything from the Urner to dinking around on trains between farmers lifts. We've done some great trips between Switzerland and Italy.

I'm thumbnailing some options too, but I'm a lazy old fuck who just rides trains and does a few short tours between places.

[alias_rice]

So are you talking 2019-2020?

No, I was thinking somewhere along March-May, 2019.

PM me if you want to talk going with someone else from the TGR boards. I'm targeting similar trip this year. Mostly have been focused on the Urner Haute route, and Buster recommended these guys: http://www.andermatt-guides.ch/EN/ur...ute-route.html

YMMV, but it seems to me like Swiss outfits are significantly cheaper than US-based ones.

One outstanding question is how to work around the first hut on the Urner being closed this winter (according to the huts website).

The other outstanding question is why are you selling those Praxis BCs that'd be perfect for this adventure.

I'd be down for sure to go with mags.

NMCG emailed me and they aren't going on Urner until mid-may, so that may be how they are dealing with the hut being closed.

The Praxis is a good ski, but I was thinking of something a little lighter. You should buy them though.

[doebedoe]

Hit up Dan Loutrel: http://www.andermatt-guides.ch/EN/about.html

He knows a ton of cool options around central Switzerland. Great guy with a van who knows everything from the Urner to dinking around on trains between farmers lifts. We've done some great trips between Switzerland and Italy.

I'm thumbnailing some options too, but I'm a lazy old fuck who just rides trains and does a few short tours between places.

No, I was thinking somewhere along March-May, 2019.



I'd be down for sure to go with mags.

NMCG emailed me and they aren't going on Urner until mid-may, so that may be how they are dealing with the hut being closed.

The Praxis is a good ski, but I was thinking of something a little lighter. You should buy them though.

We should email the above and see what he's thinking for a hut trip / traverse this spring (2019). I'd prefer to go early April for better snow conditions. (And selfishly to line the trip up with my bday.)

I'm most likely solo. Have two good friends who may come, but right now their trying to workout logistics for Japan which would trump Euro land.

I've been eyeing them. I already have their smaller siblings -- 182 Yetis. Love them. Feel like I'm inbetween sizes on the BC (would like 186ish).

[Buster Highmen]

Consider the goal: do you really want to do a hut trip or just ski a lot of cool places?

A hut trip involves more skinning whereas there's so many options to ride lifts, skin an hours or two, ski down into a different valley or country and get to another hotel in the valley.

For example, there's a 2-3 hour skin out of Disentis to do the Oberalpstock I've never done. After the hike, it's like 8000 vertical feet down into a valley where there's several farmers lifts, the Maderanertal. Here's one: https://www.lsb-golzern.ch/ .

Then there's another one out of Klosters, the Madrisa, that ends up in Austria and the Montafon area where you can drink to Hemingway in Schruns.

Dan has this stuff wired and a lot of it's pretty obscure. I've been sworn to secrecy. He can set you up at one of these huttes where you can tour for weeks.

Here's some I've been eyeing:

0) Get to Bad Gastein, warm up day or two, find a guide, then take the train through the tunnel to Mallnitz. At the Mallnitz station, get a $40 taxi over to the Mölltaler Gletscher . Ride those lifts and ski back down into the Gasteinertal. If it's dumping and have to stay in Gasteinertal, oh well. Room and breakfast $55US @ https://hotelechobadgastein.com/ . Mallnitz/Ankogel looks like it's worth a day or two as well.

Day 3 in BG. Bad Gastein to St. Anton am Arlberg, 3 hours by rail in the evening.

1) Ski St. Anton for 2 or 3 days, hire a guide and do the Valluga. St. Anton is expensive, $100/night.

Day 5, St. Anton to Schruns/Montafon 1 hour by rail in the evening.

2) Ski Montafon for a day, find a guide. If the weather's good, ride the lifts at Gargellen/Montafon, ski, then climb up over the Madrisa and ski down to Klosters/Davos.
If the weather's no good, hopefully it's dumping and stay at Montafon for another day. Montafon is not cheap, but $75/night will do it.

3) Day 7/8, Ski Davos /Klosters for 2 days. It's huDge. The rail from Schruns to Davos is 3 hours, 2.5 if just going to Klosters. This is expensive at $100/night.

4) Day 9/10, rail to Sedrun in the evening, 3 hours by rail from Davos. Visit our pals at https://www.mt-lodge.com/ . Bomb around Disentis to Andermatt, possibly Airolo. Here's a partial list of huttes in the Andermatt area: http://www.andermatt.ch/en/sleeping-.../mountain-huts . Also : http://www.gasthaus-goescheneralp.ch/

Just North of Andermatt/Goeschenen, there's a valley that goes East with this network with huttes displayed:



Burglen is at 525 meters. All the above is South facing, so the lower portions may melt out before April.

[alias_rice]

Looks good to me Buster. Let’s book it!

I emailed Dan to see what his thoughts were on various options. Doebedoe, I’ll shoot you a pm when he gets back to me.

[doebedoe]

Looks good to me Buster. Let’s book it!

I emailed Dan to see what his thoughts were on various options. Doebedoe, I’ll shoot you a pm when he gets back to me.

Sounds good. I'm not completely wedded to any one thing. Goals are to do some touring, enjoy some Euro hospitality, and ski some good snow. A night or two in a hut would be rad though.

[hutash]

Lots of different ways to ski yurp. As Buster said, if it is about skiing, but to hit is not necessarily the best option. I did a Dolomite trip in Feb. using a couple local hotels and just went out each day to ride lifts, skin or boot to some really fun stashes, then back to town for real food and hotel room. Huts are great, and really fun to expereince, but if you dont need to.stay I. a hit, towns are generally a lot better. If your objective is a point to point route, then you will likely stay mostly in huts, with an occasional descent into town.

Another guide option is Francis Kelsey, www.nosiesta.com, and American working in Europe for over 25 years. I have skied and climbed with him a few times, and he guided the euro Gordy camps back in the day.

[Buster Highmen]

The last few years I've been going in mid January, which can be a good time to go for lack of crowds and sticking to La Grave/Verbier/Engelberg/Andermatt.

This year, I haven't decided and am considering going in March, after the February Euro vacation but before Easter.

I have never skied in Austria and I would like to, nor have I skied Davos, which I've been told is awesome. So that's why I've set that itinerary which is doable in 14 days on the ground there.

Now the spiney part: you don't know me or if I can ski at all and I don't know if you or if you can ski at all. Maybe I'm a total narcissistic asshole. Maybe I'm irritating just bringing this up, but it's something to consider.

Also, should mention the Smarts, http://www.smartmountainguides.com/ .

[auvgeek]

Now the spiney part: you don't know me or if I can ski at all and I don't know if you or if you can ski at all. Maybe I'm a total narcissistic asshole. Maybe I'm irritating just bringing this up, but it's something to consider.

This is TGR. Everybody here's a dentist who skis better than alto and wouldn't need a guide except they're lazy and short on time.

[rod9301]

$100 a night expensive? Tahoe is at least twice that, if not more.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using TGR Forums mobile app

[doebedoe]

$100 a night expensive? Tahoe is at least twice that, if not more.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using TGR Forums mobile app

It's all relative. Compared to a hut with dinner and breakfast being $60, yeah, $100 for just a room is expensive.

[Buster Highmen]

Is there anywhere in North America one can still get a room (dorm/hostel doesn't count) for less than $100pp within walking distance of the main lifts?

[Buster Highmen]

Here's a list of refuges around the Ecrins (Les Deux Alpes/Alpe d'Huez/La Grave/Serre Chevalier

http://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr/fiches-refuges

[alias_rice]

This looks like a pretty sweet trip too. A little more focus on skiing than touring.

https://www.proguiding.com/guided-tr...-ski-week.html

[Idris]

Did the Haute route years ago, great fun, got luck with the snow and weather. As others have said there are lots of other less frequented and more fun tours.

If you are looking for guide recommendation I would go with
Jeff Banks https://www.jeffbanksmountainguide.com/
Cosmin Andron https://www.alpinestyleexpeditions.com
Joe Vallone https://provallone.com/
Francis Kelsey https://www.nosiesta.com/about-feed/
Wolfgan Huber http://www.mountain-spirit-guides.com/about-us/
Eva Eskilsson also http://www.mountain-spirit-guides.com/about-us/
Andrew Lanham https://andrewlanhamguide.com/
Ben Tibbets https://www.bentibbettsguiding.com/
Ben Bradford https://verticalfrontiers.com/
Tom Grant https://tomgrant.guide/

I have skied extensively with all of the above and trust them implicitly .

[alias_rice]

This looks like a pretty sweet trip too. A little more focus on skiing than touring.

https://www.proguiding.com/guided-tr...-ski-week.html

After going over a bunch of options with Martin Volken I’m pretty sure I’m gonna book this tour. 3 days based out of Cham and 3 days out of Zermatt. They keep the itinerary open and decide basically the night before based on conditions. He said a typical day is 2k-4K of climbing and 10k-14k of descent. Sounds pretty damn good to me.

I can get sub $900 flights from SLC to Zurich, and I think I’ll fly in a week or so early and work my way to Cham. I’d probably keep that portion pretty open and make last minute decisions based on conditions. Seems like a ton of options out of Zurich: Engelberg, Grindelwald, Andermatt are all options. I’ll start praying for snow now.

[Buster Highmen]

OK, have fun! Martin is a great guy, I patronize his shop all the time.

[hafjell]

After going over a bunch of options with Martin Volken I’m pretty sure I’m gonna book this tour. 3 days based out of Cham and 3 days out of Zermatt. They keep the itinerary open and decide basically the night before based on conditions. He said a typical day is 2k-4K of climbing and 10k-14k of descent. Sounds pretty damn good to me.

I can get sub $900 flights from SLC to Zurich, and I think I’ll fly in a week or so early and work my way to Cham. I’d probably keep that portion pretty open and make last minute decisions based on conditions. Seems like a ton of options out of Zurich: Engelberg, Grindelwald, Andermatt are all options. I’ll start praying for snow now.

Your head is about to explode. I have no advice other than keep a little in the tank for when you arrive in Cham. I have definitely run myself into the ground before partners arrived and limped through the last week. No wrong way to do your trip, but consider pacing.