Dresdner Hutte from Stubai Glacier Resort carpark, Austria

Day 1 of the 2013 Easter trip ..  this year to Austria and starting in the Stubai at Flupmes.  We arrived at "Doug's Mountain Getaway" very late on (Good) Friday night and other than grab some food we went to bed. The weather was not good and the forecast was for more of the same..  So it was not a surprise to wake up the the next day and find cloud in the valley. We were determined to get out and explore a little and brush the cobwebs away.. but by the time everything was sorted and organised we were not the earliest starters!

We opted to go to the end of the valley and see what could be found at the Stubai glacier... this was higher than the local resort at Fulpmes (Schlict) but also there was a chance (as we later found out a real chance) that the glacier was above and out of the clouds. Not to-day though. the aim was to do a bit if uphill work followed by some gentle return on the piste.

 The end of the valley is a large set of car parks, leading to the lift station and the valley below the glacier proper.

Following up the side of the parking areas and the return pistes we came to the valley ..  straight up or around the piste? .. not having read the map correctly we assumed they both met in the clouds ..  not realizing this was not at the hut.

Looking down to the bottom station

Looking up to the valley head

 We set off straight up the valley under the lift pylons. And effectively following the right hand side looking upwards

 As we got higher  the slope got a little steeper, and for the first time we met, what would become common this trip,  the snow half consolidated with a sprinkling of fresh on top of a more solid base. this did not make for good cohesion with the skins.

 After an epic - for a first day after the remainder of the year behind a desk - battle against the slope (two steps up one back). we crested the lip to see the hutte appearing out of the fog. Larger than expected, and more like a hotel - which is probably what it is, in reality.

Behind the hotel the bowl rose on all sides and we realized than if we had taken the piste we would be  200m higher to the right, so not really an option for descent as planned.

So hiding out of the snow, which was now falling in larger and larger amounts, in an unused "buvette"  we had a quick bite to eat an readied for the descent - down the way we came up  ...  straight onto steep(ish) off piste.  What a wake up!


No real scares on the descent, apart from the flat light, and soon back at the car and return to "Dougs"

Trip track

The trace for the route can be found on a-trip