From glorious weather to a whiteout in a gondola ride
Our start in Andermatt couldn't have been better: bright sunshine. But appearances were deceptive. At the top of Gemsstock, we were abruptly greeted by a full-blown whiteout and a violent storm. We waddled down the stairs and first had to realize that we couldn't see anything. The variant is no secret, but there was no track in the snow and the short but steep traverse was fully downwind and well blown in. Waiting was the order of the day. But then the sky continued to clear and we were able to set off. The descent took us into the Gafallensaum and further along the Bortwasser. This route is absolutely cool in terms of scenery. For us splitboarders, this more southerly line made much more sense, as we were able to elegantly circumnavigate the opposite slope on the more northerly route. With even better visibility, we then used the afternoon for a first exploration tour to the Rotstocklücke before moving into our accommodation for the night: the Vermigelhütte.
A fantastic hut
The Vermigelhütte is simply fantastic! We had it to ourselves and enjoyed the feeling of pure seclusion. Everything you need for a winter base is there: The hut is perfectly equipped and cozy. After registering by email, you have access to the entire hut and can use a great wood-burning stove in the spacious kitchen. The hut warden places enormous trust in us tourers. Please respect this during your stay and always leave the hut in perfect condition so that it stays that way! The hut is usually staffed on weekends.
