Heidelberger Hutte Ski Touring

Late March 2022 I packed my skis from YVR to MUC and traveled to Innsbruck then Ischgl. This page covers my 3 days while ski touring out of the Heidelberger Hutte.

Exiting the ski resort boundary at Piz Val Gronda

First view of the Heidelberger Hutte from Piz Davo Sasse

Naturally triggered loose wet avalanche

Dinner time (at the firm time 18:30) ! I wish I had taken more photos of the food, but you also don't want to be "that guy" who pulls out the camera while everyone else is eating... The rooms were minimal with 2 bunk beds / 4 people max. Has everything you need. You bring a sleeping bag liner, then they provide pillows and wool blankets. Compared to the huts I'm used to in BC, this felt like luxury. 57 Euros for half board, which includes the bed, breakfast, and dinner. Great deal especially considering the town of Ischgl is expensive overall. These huts are all cash only and reservations required.

Built and operated by the German Alpine Club

Photographs on the wall inside the dining hall. This valley has a long history of recreation.

Breakfast the next morning - WOW! And I'm not just referring to the awesome fresh butter dispenser. The Euro alps vibe and local food exceeded my expectations. Dinners went above and beyond, considering the simplicity and remote nature of this hut. They charge you for tap water during meals in Swiss/Germany/Aus (lame) so you might as well order a beer... I had the pleasure of dining with an Austrian couple for the first night while eating veggie and mushroom strudel, then playing "Alhambra" board game. The next evening was shared with an elderly couple from Berlin who got a ride to the hut via snow cat and they were visiting their son who works as one of the chefs. The owner of the hutte was also fun with the many groups.

The majority of the other groups who stayed at the hut ranged from 5-10 people and half appeared to be guided. I was the only solo traveler, and definitely the only person from Canada. We all dispersed the hut after breakfast with our objectives for the day. I should have left a trip plan with the staff at the hut where I was planning to ski. My objectives were conditions dependent though and I carried a satellite phone. There was not any reliable cell service in the area. Wifi is usually included at the hut (I think) but it was down during my 3 days there.

Snow conditions were marginal to say the least. Very patchy in sections. Firm and icy in the morning then the south facing slopes softened up throughout the day. The last significant snowfall was 5 weeks ago. Stability was overall great, I just saw some loose wet avalanches in the area on steep slopes. I was still surprised to see trail markers like these on the rocks and some signs with directional arrows poking up through the snow.

Skinning up Flasches Kronenjoch

Near Foppa Trida. This served as a junction for 2 popular summits in the area. Ascending right lead to the Flasches Kronenjoch col and the summits Curuna Lada and Bischofspitze. Left continued further to Piz Tasna.

Boot packing the scree slops to the summit of Bischofspitze (3029 meters)

Looking back south in the direction of the hut

Snow conditions were patchy in late March

But I sure got lucky with the weather

I was using the Heidelberger as a basecamp, but it would have also been fun to go hut to hut. I think this party was travelling in the direction of the Jamalhutte and after chatting with a Dutch family who frequented this zone often, there are a few options in the area for more of a traverse style trip.

I watched some fellow ski this line is on the west ridge of Piz Tasna

Another party skiing down the Vadrat da Tasna

Summit of Piz Tasna. I had ditched my skis below and boot packed up to the ridge. This was my highest point on the trip, around 3000 metres.

Looking north at what must be the upper chairlifts named Champatsch. If I'm correct about this, the ski runs would lead to the town of Scoul, Switzerland. The Heidelberger hutte is also situated in Switzerland, by about 1 kilometer from the official border. Everyone accesses it from the Austria side.

Afternoons at the hutte before dinner were often spent doing this

And / or this

Sunrise on my last day in Alps

I toured up to the Austria / Swiss border at Ritzen-Joch / Fuorcla Larein. There is a road down the other side here on a summer trail that my GPS shows could been used as access from just outside Ischgl, but I decided to take it easy and ski back out through the resort.