Lampsenspitze, Praxmar

Our last at the apartment in Sellrain and we had to pack up before we went out, so with everything in the car we set out for Praxmar, with the intention of climbing the Lampsenspitze. This was something on the to-do list for a long while and every time we had looked at it something was not right - weather, fitness, too far away etc.

This time we were close and even after packing the car up we arrived at the car park by 8:30am...  normally early enough to be ahead of any crowds. However today the car park was rammed.. People and vehicles all over the place ... luckily we were still early enough to get a space at the far end of the car park where it had not been ploughed thoroughly but in the melee better than those arriving 30 mins later when it was completely full and they had to drop down to the road below. 5 Euros for the privilege later and we had got all our day kit ready, we walked up to the start of the route to join the scrum.

It was similar to climbing Snowdon from Pen-y-pass on a hot weekend in the summer (only this was Friday, so where had all the people come from - must be a “working from home” day)

We set off up the pisted track (this is a ski track at this point but a toboggan run higher up), and immediately lost some of the crowd who continued on up to Zischgelesspitz. 

We continued on the ski piste as it turned sharply right and continued to climb above the village. After a big bend in the track we were fully in the sun and time to reduce layers, then climbing up into the trees - here the ascent route deviates from the track as it cut up through the trees on a more direct route.

The track zigzagged through the trees and back to the track.

We crossed the track a couple more times as we worked our way up through the forest. We were being constantly passed by faster parties here, luckily there were several routes and they could use a different one and speed onwards. 

Clear of the forest and directly across another hairpin, before a short section along the track. At one of the track crossings, I asked Bryon to lead on as my pace was being affected by the speedsters - not in a competitive way, but I would just click into their stride pattern and follow on.

The track continued as we cut up again through the sparser trees and we could see a ridge ahead - too close to be the target, but you could make out the groups of people as they made their way up it to the skyline.

A well used track continued the climb and the sun was starting to make a big impression.

We crossed the track for the final time and moved into the upper meadows (all white with descent lines all over - by the time we got back here it would be much more messy). 

The going was simple along the track with no route finding required, however the recent snowfall had made the track very slippy in places and care had to be taken especially around the steeper sections where the combination of ice underneath soft snow attacks the skin grip.

We made it up to a small summit on this ridge and stopped for a snack and breather, along with a number of others, before continuing.

Now the skyline had a different look and we could see the track snaking up to a further col on the new sky line- as there was no one climbing the ridge to what looked like the high point this could only be another false summit.

We rejoined the circus ascending along the tracks (the same rules applied - if anyone wanted to pass they had to use a parallel track and speed away).

Soon this track started to weave in and out of a number of little bumps as we got closer to a bowl below the skyline.

Then into the bowl below the skyline and up it with a series of long zigzags.

Over the ridge edge to see the final ridge and summit ahead.

We climbed into the final bowl and up the head wall in a series of zigzags.

By now the track was scratched up by descending slide slips and needed care and attention especially on the turns in the final steep section.

Eventually coming out a small col on the ridge, and a mass of people milling around.

Looking over the ridge and into the next valley - the Pfortzheimer hutte is down there somewhere.

East towards the ROter Kogel and Fotscher Windegg

After depositing our skis on the edge of the crowd we had a breather and then set off for the summit on foot.

This climbed around the back of the ridge and up to the summit with its cross, and yet another large group of people doing their summit thing.

Looking West

Looking East

South

We did our thing - donned jackets against the wind that we had been protected from all the way up and took a load of photos.

Then left to go back to the ski depot below following a similar path to the ascent.

Back down to the Ski Depot and time for refreshments and trying to keep out of the way of everyone else. In joke ....  "the skis will not fall over if you lay them down". The crowds were still coming up creating massed chaos.

Eventually we were happy to leave and set off back down the summit bowl head wall, and across the bottom to the place we had crossed the second skyline. The snow was powder like with a bit of a crus, but completely crisscrossed with others’ tracks, so making it challenging to find a good route through.

Over the second head wall and down the steep slope to the bowl bottom below. Here we continued dropping over the bowl walls following the rough direction of our ascent - though if you ever latched onto any of the ascent tracks you sped off compared to the slower nature of the powder.

From the second skyline col we deviated slightly from the ascent direction and followed some valleys and ribs to the left of the track, this enabled us to reach the less tracked slopes and be more choosing of route. We were still in the tracked slopes, but finding areas that were less like a rollercoaster to ski - the existing tracks made the skis speed up the untouched bit slow down, together with the rise and drop in ski height of each bit, when there are many it can be challenging.

As we crossed the first skyline we could now see the hut at the end of the toboggan & ski piste, and so cut over to that. By now our legs were feeling they had been on a good workout (first the climb and then the descent) so it made sense to drop onto the track and follow it back to the car park.

The track was very hard packed and took little effort to ski down with the exception of having to be careful of the corners and also tobogganers walking up. First across the more open slopes and then through the forest.

Before the final space above the village.

Back at the car park it was now less crowded with all the early arrivals and the speed tourers having had their day and gone (presumably back to work!), however the surface was now slushy with muddy puddles.

We packed up quickly and drove off - we had our new apartment to find in Axams. We had to drive around the edge of the village and down a back lane to eventually get to the house, however it will suit us for the final two days of our trip.