Between Seasons

Between seasons in the Bavarian Alps – the time of year that often sees too much snow to go hiking or climbing, but not enough to go skiing or ski touring. Last winter, it also looked like we had to put away our ski gear prematurely. It's late March: We traded the telemark skis for the mountain bike, and off we went. We weren't too happy, because the cold season had a late start and ended way too soon. But sometimes, winter chooses to return for a few days in April or May, which only results in traffic chaos, but not in the re-opening of the ski resorts. Three bike adventures later. A message on my phone. The kind of message that causes sweaty hands when you are a passionate skier: Powder alert! And plenty of it!

The text states that there will be a meter of fresh snow within 48 hours next week in the Eastern Alps – a sweet ending to a mediocre winter and my chance to extend the touring season. Aching for the weekend, I am trying to find a ski buddy. I store the bike and get my skis out. Silvretta, here I come! The Heidelberger Hütte is a mountain club hut at the eastern edge of the Silvretta mountains. It's ideally located for several summits (summer and winter). When we arrive, everything is covered by a thick blanket of snow. Most people take the ski lift as a shortcut to get from Ischgl to the hut.

We prefer the approach through the Larain Valley, which includes a long and strenuous valley trail (typical for the Silvretta region), but also an exceptional scenario: steep, snow-covered walls in front of blue skies everywhere; at the end of the valley, you always see the white Fluchthorn. Total solitude, an almost spooky silence, which lets us forget about everyday troubles. Perfect for some nice first tracks! ...and more tracks! ...and some more! If it wasn't for the hot April sun. Our reward: the 2.688-meter Ritzenjoch. Here, we catch a first glimpse of our accommodation for the next two nights. But before ordering a well-deserved cold beverage on the patio, the temptation is too strong and we decide to test the snow.

Skins off, a quick granola bar and off we go. Surprisingly, there's powder all the way to the hut despite the hot sun. Not bad for mid-April. Just keep it that way! The spacious Heidelberger Hütte with its 120 beds is the perfect base for both beginners and experienced cracks: throughout the vast basin, there's a perfect tour for everybody. You only need to make a decision. After a lengthy discussion over a delicious dinner, we agree on the 3,188-meter Krone mountain. Instead of the usual southern approach, we want to take the slightly more challenging northern route, which includes some climbing at the very top. Who said that you must set out in the dark and with a headlamp in spring?

Thanks to the favorable location of our accommodation we are already in the middle of the mountains, which saves an entire journey by car and long approaches carrying your skis. Means: breakfast at 7 a.m., on our skis at 7:30. That's a good plan. The wind picked up overnight and everything looks more like February than April in the morning, but that won't keep us from setting out, especially because of the perfectly sunny mountain panorama. Now joined by Thilo, Alfred, and Aaron, our first goal is to gain some serious altitude! After a few meters, however, we realize that the avalanche situation has changed significantly compared to the day before. We find a suitable spot, pull out our shovels and have a closer look at the snow cover.

The rather mediocre result is uniformly interpreted as: "let's not risk anything today!" Several runs are instantly eliminated from our wish list. But that doesn't bother us. There are countless alternatives left with identical potential for fun and action. But first, we have to get there. We head to the saddle, leave our skis, put on our crampons and continue to the summit. Krone mountain features some exposed climbing and isn't easy to conquer, but once we reach the peak, we can oversee the entire Silvretta range. What a reward. Wow! But we can't stay for long. With increasing altitude, the wind picked up significantly. But who cares – considering the conditions and the run ahead of us, we can't think of anything but to finally ski down.

Untouched slopes, first tracks – it can't get any better. We enjoy gigantic turns; relaxed surfing and fluffy spring pow. My kind of April. Especially when you conclude a long day with an excellent dinner. The weather forecast for Sunday: Light snow showers and fog until the late morning, followed by sun and predominantly blue skies. This means we can sleep late and there's no need to rush. I think we can do that! We begin our hike to Heidelberger Spitze in a massive whiteout. The further we get, the better the visibility. Once the forecasted sun shows up (we did not really count on it considering the extremely dense fog in the morning), our bodies are rushed by endorphins and we continue to our designated ski drop-off.

We are alone, not a soul anywhere around us. On our quest to the summit, we are suddenly stopped by a massive boulder – a very exposed grade II climb with a fresh snow cover. An exciting finale considering we are wearing ski boots. What else could you wish for? Well, actually the last run down the mountain. And all this is possible between the seasons!