Mountain Mastery Level 2 | Example tour

The closing date for Level II of Mountain Mastery has passed and the participants have submitted their high-quality entries. Now it's up to us to sift through them, analyze them and provide useful feedback. So that you also have something to do while we carry out the - naturally unfair, arbitrary and hopefully not unfair - evaluation, we will show you an example tour of how we would have imagined an entry. There is probably no need to mention that there are countless ways of doing it differently, but still well and correctly. The teams' contributions will then be published - as usual - in the team threads in the Mountain Mastery Forum.

Example tour Pischa-Klosters

Prerequisites:

Planned date: Thursday, 26 Jan 2012
Weather: Mostly sunny, light to moderate winds from the NW, midday temperature at 2000m at -4°C
Weather history: At the weekend there were heavy snowfalls with storms from the W to N. Afterwards mostly moderate winds from the W to the N. Then mostly moderate winds from these directions and moderate snowfall, especially on Monday.
Snow conditions: Very good. The snow cover is thick and reaches down into the valleys. Since Monday 20-30 cm of fresh snow
Avalanche situation: Level 3 (considerable). Danger spots are on drift snow slopes of all exposures above ~2200m. Individuals can trigger avalanches, especially in fresh drift snow. Experience in assessment and careful route selection are important. Sliding snow avalanches are possible at any time below ~2400m. Particularly at risk: Grassy slopes from E to S to W.
Group: 3 skiers. Knut is experienced, safe on the ascent and descent, has average fitness and did the planning. Heidi is safe on the ascent and descent, although slow on the ascent and has average fitness. Heiner skis well, can do hairpin bends, but has little touring and off-piste experience, but is in excellent condition. Equipment is available.

Planned tour: Pischa (gondola top station) via Pischasee and Novaier Tälli to Klosters

Map planning (at 1:25,000):

Route description: From Davos, take the ski bus to Pischa and the gondola up. From the Pischagondel mountain station, follow the winter hiking trail on foot to Pischagrat. Descent via Verborgen Pischa to Pischaboden. Ascent via Pischasee up to point 2741. Descent into Nuvaier Tälli and ascent again to the Gitzihöreli crossing at point 2466. Then the long descent via Gatschiefer and through the forest to Schwaderloch. From here, follow the cross-country ski trail to Äuja and take the bus to Klosters (or take the entire trail). From here take the train back to Davos. Elevation profile of the tour:

Total ascent: 700 m elevation gain | 2.6 km
Total descent: 1970 m elevation gain | 6 km
Time required: Elevation gain: 7 x 15 min. = 1.45h
(rule of thumb is distance: 2.6 x 15 min. = 40 min
15 min per 100 m descent: 1 h (roughly estimated incl. waiting breaks)
and per km lunch/summit break: 30 min. waiting breaks)
and per km) Lunch/summit break: 30 min
2 x skinning up and down: 20 min
last kilometer out of the valley: 15 min
Total: 4.30 h
Start time: approx. 9.30 am Danger potential (all relevant slopes over 30° are marked in red):

Steepest point: 35(-36)°
Little steep terrain (>30°) in the ascent, i.e. only a few hairpin bends are necessary.

According to Munter's reduction method, the risk potential is:
8 (considerable) less 3 (steepest part of the slope around 35°) x 3 (small group with gaps) = 9
This is pretty borderline, because if the terrain turns out to be steeper in reality, it gets hairy. Then the only options are to abort or take a detour. The downhill sections after the ridges in particular could be problematic here.

The terrain is largely manageable, only after Pt. 2721 and the Gitzihöreli are parts of the descent in the area of influence of dangerous steep slopes.
This results in the following danger spots, checkpoints and critical areas:

1. Pischagrat: First check: Are the weather, temperatures, snow and avalanche conditions in line with what we expected?
   The first few meters of descent from the ridge could be steep, a careful sounding of the situation is advisable. The upper part of the descent may also be in the area of influence of the steep walls of the ridge. Alternatively, climb a little further up the ridge or return to the ski area and ski down to Pischaboden via Wäng.

2. Pischaboden: How did your fellow competitors do on the descent? Does everything fit, or is it better to change plans now?

3. Pischasee before the steep terrain: What does the terrain look like? Are cautious ascent variants possible? Are there any signs of drift snow deposits? The slope is predestined to be blown in in the prevailing weather conditions of the last few days due to its exposure and terrain shape. Alternative: direct descent via Mönchalp to Laret. Or, in extreme cases, a return ascent via Wäng and back to the ski area.

4. Point 2721: What does the downhill terrain towards Novaier Tälli look like? Blown in? Steeper than expected? Are there alternative routes following the ridge to the SE that allow for less steep descents? How is the group after the steepest ascent of the tour?

5. Before the Gitzihöreli: Are the last few meters of ascent too steep? Is the slope too steep? The slope below the transition is a classic terrain incision that favors snow deposits below. Is the alternative ascent via the Lauizughorn (the name alone should set alarm bells ringing) more promising? Alternative: Descent via Ober Novai and the side valley to Novai. Then push out of the valley to Mobiel.

6. Point 2466: How steep is the descent after the crossing? Alternatively, follow the ridge to the Lauizughorn or to the shoulder of the Gatschieferspitz. If necessary, take the descent via Novai (see 5.).

7. Gatschiefer: What's the nature of the basin in the forest aisle? Here you are already well below the critical altitude mentioned in the LLB, but an assessment is still necessary. What is the danger of sliding snow, even if it is a north-facing slope? Is it possible to find the path through the bushes? Alternatively, traverse further west and descend via the Rütiwald.

Feasibility assessment:

The weather should not cause any problems and the snow conditions are sufficient. The avalanche situation is tricky and requires ongoing assessment as to whether the tour is feasible, but alternative routes are available everywhere. The demands on fitness and skiing technique are not excessive. In this respect, nothing stands in the way of the tour. To the Mountain Mastery Forum