DAY 5 – FRI, APR 1ST (CONT)
At the Cabane du Vignettes the weather changed overnight. The day before on our way in the skies were overcast and it was snowing lightly, with limited visibility. On the last climb you could tell the storm was ramping up and when we entered the refuge we were thinly covered in a layer of snow.
The next morning the storm had dropped 30cm or so of new snow and the hut was still socked in. In the early morning darkness I could make out from the window sills there was much more snow than when we went to sleep.
Among the guides the decision was to ski down to Arolla and abandon the plan to continue onto Bertol and enter Zermatt on skis. The guides worked together as a kind of collective, consulting one another and there was a camaraderie between them. They had their own customs, toasts and sought out each other’s counsel.
At the Cabane du Vignettes the weather changed overnight. The day before on our way in the skies were overcast and it was snowing lightly, with limited visibility. On the last climb you could tell the storm was ramping up and when we entered the refuge we were thinly covered in a layer of snow.
The next morning the storm had dropped 30cm or so of new snow and the hut was still socked in. In the early morning darkness I could make out from the window sills there was much more snow than when we went to sleep.
Among the guides the decision was to ski down to Arolla and abandon the plan to continue onto Bertol and enter Zermatt on skis. The guides worked together as a kind of collective, consulting one another and there was a camaraderie between them. They had their own customs, toasts and sought out each other’s counsel.
Cafe in Arolla
Adi told us at breakfast but we had been thinking the plan might change. The new snow accumulation and increased winds had caused the avalanche hazard to go up, making travel and navigation less safe and more difficult, so we went down.
After breakfast we collected our bottles of tea and our belongings from the room, the skins from the line next to the window, my parka from the rafters and grabbed my skis from the locker. Everything went back in the bag, stacked according to what I would need next. Quick beacon check and then outside into the white.
The Glacier de Piece was long and below the hut the terrain was steep, then flattened out, and rolled over again near the moraine. The quality of the snow into Arolla was excellent, although risky. The new snow had covered numerous hidden rocks, also the visibility was still poor but I wasn’t complaining.
After breakfast we collected our bottles of tea and our belongings from the room, the skins from the line next to the window, my parka from the rafters and grabbed my skis from the locker. Everything went back in the bag, stacked according to what I would need next. Quick beacon check and then outside into the white.
The Glacier de Piece was long and below the hut the terrain was steep, then flattened out, and rolled over again near the moraine. The quality of the snow into Arolla was excellent, although risky. The new snow had covered numerous hidden rocks, also the visibility was still poor but I wasn’t complaining.
The further down we went the less snow and more rocks there were. Eventually we were back skiing on piste, on a small run and then took our skis off and walked the five minutes into town.
We shuffled into a sleepy cafe in Arolla around 9 AM. There was an older woman sitting alone at a table, she must have been the first customer, a coffee and an untouched piece of something pie shaped on a plate on her table. There was a little dog and the other teams and guides who had descended from Vignettes trickled in.
Looking out the window, Arolla was delightful, especially after the fresh snow. We ordered coffees and pulled out the map. Adi made a phone call. Then ten minutes after our drinks arrived we were on a bus heading for another bus heading for a train into Visp.
The plan was to take the bus then train to a private hut accessible from the town of Münster, also in the Valais instead of continuing on skis to the Cabane de Bertol and then Zermatt. In the summer the water from the glaciers pour down the valley into Lake Geneva and then onto the Rhône in France all the way to the Mediterranean.
The plan was to take the bus then train to a private hut accessible from the town of Münster, also in the Valais instead of continuing on skis to the Cabane de Bertol and then Zermatt. In the summer the water from the glaciers pour down the valley into Lake Geneva and then onto the Rhône in France all the way to the Mediterranean.
Another group and guide set to transfer buses. The infrastructure for moving through the mountains made traveling relatively easy, although nuanced. The tickets we bought for the bus also were good for the train ride and so on.
Artur and Jason helped tremendously with the trains and the overall logistics of paying for the taxis, booking lodging and making sure we were heading in the right direction. It was nice to not have to think about it—we could follow their lead.
Artur and Jason helped tremendously with the trains and the overall logistics of paying for the taxis, booking lodging and making sure we were heading in the right direction. It was nice to not have to think about it—we could follow their lead.
After the two bus rides and taking the long train ride towards Andermatt, we passed through or near towns called Brig, Bitsch, Mörel, Fiesch, Niederwald, Biel, Blitzingen, Reckingen and Gluringen, some with lifts, trams and ski villages of their own. The train emptied out the further we went and eventually we arrived at Münster.
The day was getting on and we still had to drop off some equipment and do the food shopping before a ski tour into another separate private hut. We hopped off the train, took a short walk from the banhof winding up a small paved road past several sturdy looking buildings and a church. There were beautiful wooden buildings with slate roofs all over Switzerland. In a yard a stacked firewood pile with an arch to walk underneath emerged. It smelled like agriculture.
The day was getting on and we still had to drop off some equipment and do the food shopping before a ski tour into another separate private hut. We hopped off the train, took a short walk from the banhof winding up a small paved road past several sturdy looking buildings and a church. There were beautiful wooden buildings with slate roofs all over Switzerland. In a yard a stacked firewood pile with an arch to walk underneath emerged. It smelled like agriculture.
We arrived at the Tourist Center, which had an open office, main room and an entryway, where we ditched our glacier gear in order to lighten our packs. They had free chocolates. Then walked through town to the local grocery store called Coop.
I bought a tall can of Quöllfrisch, some sausages and paprika crackers. Adi suggested a traditional Swiss meal of fondue and soup which we agreed on. He went back for garlic. Ephraim went missing but later found him in a cafe. I put a loaf of bread, soup mix and my snacks in my pack for the trip up to the hut.
I bought a tall can of Quöllfrisch, some sausages and paprika crackers. Adi suggested a traditional Swiss meal of fondue and soup which we agreed on. He went back for garlic. Ephraim went missing but later found him in a cafe. I put a loaf of bread, soup mix and my snacks in my pack for the trip up to the hut.
Church in Münster
View looking into town 
We made our way over to a dirt road where the paved road ended, the area was sort of melted out and you could see a small patch of snow where we stopped to put skins on. Adi borrowed some duct tape for the tail of his skin and then we were all headed up a small steep trail surrounded by coniferous shrubs.
The trail was bare in places and we walked over roots and the duff of the forest floor with our skis only taking them off once to hike lower down. We toured up the summer road for a couple of hours, past a forest fire sign in what appeared to be German, as the temperature dropped. It was starting to become the end of the day and was the first time my hands got cold so I had to put on the warmer gloves. When we stopped Adi sang a little song about the return of winter.
By the time we reached the signs for the Galmihornhütte I was curious to see the shape of it and take the boots off. Was also looking forward to the beer I brought. Turned out the Galmihornhütte was stocked with wine, a radio, plenty of firewood and a styrofoam cooler full of beers.
When we arrived the hut was bigger than expected with red and white shutters. There was an outhouse and small porch with railing. This was more like the huts in Colorado I had been to where you bring in your own supplies and do the cooking and hut chores yourself and we immediately started cutting wood, getting water and settling in. I threw my boots because they were hard to take off. Cracked beers and started the fire in the woodstove. Artur and I watched it grow and compared fire starting techniques.
Inside there were red and white checkered curtains and lamp shades to match the shutters outside. A built in cabinet with some glasses, a radio and small desk stood next to five tables with chairs turned upside down. An adequate shelter with a large kitchen, open dining area, cold storage and firewood room with logs stacked to the ceiling.
There were more chores after dinner but didn’t mind, the trip was starting feel like it was winding down. I put my boots on without the liners, walked the snowy path to fetch water from a spring with a rudimentary pipe, then carried the heavy water filled metal pail back to the hut using my newly refined sense of space which only comes from spending time traveling through the mountains. Adi went over the day with his map and red pencil and it was hard to believe we started at earlier skiing pow at Vignettes.
There were more chores after dinner but didn’t mind, the trip was starting feel like it was winding down. I put my boots on without the liners, walked the snowy path to fetch water from a spring with a rudimentary pipe, then carried the heavy water filled metal pail back to the hut using my newly refined sense of space which only comes from spending time traveling through the mountains. Adi went over the day with his map and red pencil and it was hard to believe we started at earlier skiing pow at Vignettes.
We ate fondue and dipped our bread and drank swiss beers, had some wine and listened to electronic music on the radio since it was Friday night and talked about the French teams. Artur burned his socks by putting them too close to the fire but bravely wore them anyways. We all bellowed and laughed heartedly. A kind of reflexive deep laugh that is true. At night when you walked out to the outhouse for a piss you could see all the glinting lights from the town of Münster below. Jason suggested another round of beers and we all agreed.
We took a room at the top of the stairs. Opened the door from the downstairs to the upstairs to allow heat to the sleeping quarters from the woodstove. I climbed the ladder and spread out on the bunk, climbed into my silk sleeping bag liner which we came to call affectionately a ‘meat sack’, then pulled the Swiss military blanket over, put in my earplugs. Had my down jacket on. Everyone snored. The white noise app going.
Next day was mellow.
We took a room at the top of the stairs. Opened the door from the downstairs to the upstairs to allow heat to the sleeping quarters from the woodstove. I climbed the ladder and spread out on the bunk, climbed into my silk sleeping bag liner which we came to call affectionately a ‘meat sack’, then pulled the Swiss military blanket over, put in my earplugs. Had my down jacket on. Everyone snored. The white noise app going.
Next day was mellow.
View of the hut from the ski tour the next day.
DAY 6 – SAT, APR 2ND
Got up early. It snowed overnight and restarted the fire. Breakfast was instant coffee, bread, some cheese, cereal. Winter was back and there was frost on my skis and bindings that I had left on the porch. I put on the parka when we started.
We skinned up above the hut slowly, with almost nothing in our packs past the avalanche barriers. Looking up there were low hanging clouds, but not a complete white out. It felt good and the slope was mellow. A little futher and we entered a small boulder field, but the rocks were spread out and the new snow made it easy to climb.
Got up early. It snowed overnight and restarted the fire. Breakfast was instant coffee, bread, some cheese, cereal. Winter was back and there was frost on my skis and bindings that I had left on the porch. I put on the parka when we started.
We skinned up above the hut slowly, with almost nothing in our packs past the avalanche barriers. Looking up there were low hanging clouds, but not a complete white out. It felt good and the slope was mellow. A little futher and we entered a small boulder field, but the rocks were spread out and the new snow made it easy to climb.
I watched Adi and everyone in front of me kickturn again and then followed their heels and the tails of their skis to a stopping point ahead. For a second the sun broke through, the white dome lifted, mountains appeared above and across the valley. We talked about our options and decided to ski up to a nearby pass where the snow was good and then head down.
On the pass we saw another bowl, with higher peaks and more skiing. The wind had stripped the upper snowfields down to the familiar sand layer which blew in before the beginning of the trip.
On the pass we saw another bowl, with higher peaks and more skiing. The wind had stripped the upper snowfields down to the familiar sand layer which blew in before the beginning of the trip.
The wind made a mess of my skins.
Turin, Italy on the other side.
It was windy and cold and we looked out at the surrounding peaks and across the valley towards Italy. Adi knew all the names and elevations and seemed genuinely disappointed that we would not be going on further.
We slid down through the open rocks. Below the breakover the snow was grabby from the wind, then lower down it got soft again and the group skied several undulating benches back to the Galmihornütte. Adi stopped and we chatted some more about the terrain with the deet-deet-deet of the GoPros.
We slid down through the open rocks. Below the breakover the snow was grabby from the wind, then lower down it got soft again and the group skied several undulating benches back to the Galmihornütte. Adi stopped and we chatted some more about the terrain with the deet-deet-deet of the GoPros.
At the hut Artur flew his drone and we had a lunch of leftovers and tea, then locked up and skied the pitches below the hut to the road we had skinned up the previous day, which turned out to be good skiing. We picked our way through the trees, switching between snowplowing and letting the skis run and when it got narrow and bare we either made jump turns between obstacles or sideslipped or we stopped and then walked over it with our skis on.
Afterwards we came to the bottom of the road near the clearing where we started below another church that sat on a small hill. Adi said “Enjoy the last few meters now.” The snow was spring like, sun baked and rough and we skied down and that was it.
We took the train back to Visp and said goodbye. When we got to Zermatt I bought a bottle of Four Roses. We took showers.
The next day the weather broke and was clear. We took the ski bus from the hotel to the base area and then rode the gondolas for 45 minutes, the Matterhorn looming, and still didn’t reach the top. No one else was there. Ephraim and I loaded a chairlift and it stopped because we didn’t put the bar down. Then we skied the leftover pow at Zermatt for free because our season passes were good there and made the long run back underneath the Monte Rosa massif.
We took the train back to Visp and said goodbye. When we got to Zermatt I bought a bottle of Four Roses. We took showers.
The next day the weather broke and was clear. We took the ski bus from the hotel to the base area and then rode the gondolas for 45 minutes, the Matterhorn looming, and still didn’t reach the top. No one else was there. Ephraim and I loaded a chairlift and it stopped because we didn’t put the bar down. Then we skied the leftover pow at Zermatt for free because our season passes were good there and made the long run back underneath the Monte Rosa massif.
︎︎︎ ROLL 2