Snow report Pitztal, 07/18/2020

Snow condition

Skinning/downhill skiing is possible at the end of the Mittelbergferner at approx. 2900m. From the Mittelbergjoch down to the Taschachferner you have to carry, otherwise there is still good snow cover on the Taschachferner above 3000m. Most of the crevasses on the way to the north face are still well covered in snow, although it is of course better to avoid the large glacier fractures. The Bergschrund is already wide open over a long stretch, and there is currently still a fairly wide and stable snow bridge over it. When the bridge is gone, it will be rather difficult to access the north face directly. Very good snow conditions on the north face, no ice contact at all. Good snow cover even in the often bare exit section.

Snow quality

Almost unbelievably good for mid-July. There was 20-30cm of fresh snow on the north face, somewhat settled but still powdery due to the diffuse radiation. Under the wall, there was also fresh snow on a snowpack suitable for skis. Snow line the day before at approx. 2800m. Even at midday on the descent, the snow was still not too wet, which was unfortunately also due to the fact that there was a complete whiteout relatively soon.

The bergschrund of the Wildspitze north face is definitely hungry and no longer offers many trustworthy crossing options. It's probably better to cross it roped up in future, and there are also some crevasses on the approach where the snow bridges are slowly thinning out.

Overall impression

Season finale no. 3 :)
Due to the good snow conditions above 3000m and a cold front with fresh snow, the board had to be taken out of the corner again. After intensive webcam and photo studies, the choice fell on the north face of the Wildspitze.
On arrival at the Mittelbergjoch, the wall also offered a fantastically beautiful view. Unfortunately, the weather deteriorated quite a bit on the approach to the wall. When it started to clear for a short time, we found the snow bridge over the bergschrund that we had been aiming for. The wall was very pleasant to climb, with 20-30 cm of fresh snow and even some sunshine, the anticipation of the descent was great. Unfortunately, there was a complete whiteout at the top, which didn't get any better even after a bit of waiting. So we were flying blind towards the bergschrund, at least the snow conditions in the wall were good. With GPS support, we then continued via the Bergschrund and the Taschachferner. It's a shame that we couldn't make better use of the good snow conditions in the wall to let it run a bit more.

Nonetheless, a good end to a great winter season with steep wall descents from the end of November to mid-July :)