Clear Blue skies welcomed us very early as we were woken by the owner and his
family stamping around downstairs. However this was also the day we moved on so
we were not too worried as we packed everything up. The van was covered with
white frost until the sun reached it as it came over the mountain opposite.
Several trips of the two flights of stairs and we had everything packed away -
the skiing stuff in the main cabin the rest in the boot.
Steady trip up to Damuls village (beyond the initial ski area) and out along the
road almost to the end where it is closed with the snow. Here (just past the
last ski lift) was a roadside parking area, already several cars parked and some
parties setting off. It was not yet 9am, but the sun was hot enough to require
minimal layers.
Getting ready we were hurried on our way by a party that pulled in next to us
and resumed to believe they needed to shout to communicate with each other.
We started up the obvious ski tracks heading up the meadow opposite the van.
The track split with one heading towards the ski area (but actually turned round
higher up and we would meet it again later) and the one we would take -
following the dog tracks.
Climbing steadily we passed a lonely house then reached a wide track filled with
footsteps.
The map showed this contoured around for a while then came up into a bowl,,
however continuing to follow the tracks with the dog we kept climbing.
This came out beside a small hump where we joined up with the track that
separated earlier, and crossed over a slight ridge into a bowl showing some
amazing lines people had skied down.
We continued to climb rather than go into the bowl - up to the ridge to our
right that would eventually lead to the summit.
The climb started steadily while the track was in the sun, but as it dipped into
shade we passed into an area of traversing the slope on icy tracks - squeaky bum
time) and several difficult turns on zigzags and through some bushes up to the
ridge.
The ridge was not visible beyond the initial steep bump, before all opened out
beyond.
A narrow track on the ridge top wound along to the edge of the bowl we had
bypassed with our climb, the summit in full view, but the ridge curved around 90
degrees.
The track took a more direct route, however this did involve a drop of several
meters on a slant.
Successfully negotiated the drop we then continued climbing to the summit.
finishing at the summit cross.
Luckily we had it all to ourselves, while we stripped the skins and had some
food, before we were joined by several others coming up the other way (direct
from the ski area).
Panorama views all around from this top showed wh it is so popular.
Further around the ridge we could see the top of Ragazer Blanken and its lift
station.Looking over the resort we could alos see the whole journey to Hohes
Licht
We dropped down the ridge (following the ridge around the top bowl).
This was a little technical in parts as it was slightly narrow, then dropped
into big bowl we had circumnavigated with the icy traverse.
Perfect spring snow - a soft top on a firm base - giving wonderful skiing. Huge
smiles on our faces we skied out to our tracks where we climbed up.
The next section over the rolling pastures continued the fantastic skiing -
slightly less steep but such wonderful situation. before long we were on the
wide footpath, and looking down on the car park.
The great skiing continued right down to the road, and we realised it had taken
no time at all to descend all the way back.
Sitting in the sun by the van while our gear dried out watching some
people skiing an extreme descent opposite us. By 12 noon we had packed it all
away and ready to move on to our new apartment nearly 200km away in Schmirn,
just off the Brenner Pass road.
