UKH

Last summer, with friends (no guides), I completed the classic 5 day hut to hut tour in the Otztal Alps from the Martin Busch Hut to the Brandenburger Hut taking in the Similaun and Weisskugel summits en route.

We're looking for something similarly challenging (PD max) for this summer. Anyone have any recommendations? Anywhere in the Alps, or even Pyrenees or Norway.

Many thanks

Martin

In reply to Martin Hore:

The three obvious ones in alps for me are

1. The Haute route Chamonix - Zermatt taking in some easy summits (Aiguille de tour, Pigne D'Arolla etc)
2. Traverse of the high Oberland (taking in some 4000m peaks, Monch, Finsteraarhorn, Grunhorn etc)
3. Monta Rosa high route (spaghetti tour) taking in 4000ers like Breithorn, Castor and the easy peaks around the Margareta hut)

In reply to SiWood:

Thanks Si

I actually did the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route - the summer full glacier version - in 1971 (which tells you how old I am). It was quite strenuous then so may be a bit much now, but worth considering. I'd looked very briefly at the Monta Rosa route. The High Oberland is another one I'll check out.

Many thanks again.

Martin

In reply to Martin Hore:
Hi Martin,

Sorry to ask for info rather than providing any, but can I ask for more details on your Otzaler tour? Am looking at the area amoung others for this summer and would appreciate experiences!

We're also looking at the Bernina Alps and trying to link up routes and huts...

Thanks.

In reply to Jenny Dart:

Hi Jenny

We found a standard route taken by guides from Vent and followed that (unguided). Unfortunately I can't find the route on the Vent Guides website for this year. So here it is in summary.

Day 1: Drive overnight from Ipswich to Vent, park the car and walk up to Martin Busch Hut
Day 2: Marzellkamm route to Similaun Summit - descend to Similaun Hut
Day 3: To Schoene Aussicht (Bellavista) Hut via Hauslab Joch (and site of Ice Man discovery)
Day 4: Weisskugel (normal route up and down from Hintereis Joch) then across the glaciers to the Brandenburger Hut.
Day 5: Traverse of Vorderer HintereisSpitze - back to Brandenburger Hut.
Day 6: Descent to Vent - drive to Dolomites for 4 more day's adventures.........

Day 1 was hard work but worth it.
Day 3 was intended to include the FineilSpitze, but high winds prevented.
Day 4 was a mammoth undertaking but a great day!
Day 5 was optional but worthwhile - hardest climbing of the trip (PD+).
You could extend to do other peaks around the Brandenburger Hut or carry on via the Venagt Hut and finish on the WildSpitze.

An excellent trip, blessed with generally good weather. We were all experienced UK winter mountain walkers. Some of us had Alpine and glacier experience (in my case quite a lot, but a long time ago).

Hope that helps

Martin

In reply to Martin Hore:

Take a look at some of the less well known areas. They are quieter and the huts are cheaper. One area I hope to begin exploring is the alps on the Italian/French border, such as Besanesse, Alberon and Cimarella. They are all around 3600m and have a network of huts link by glacier routes from F upwards. I haven't been yet but it appears there is lots of potential from looking at maps.

In reply to Martin Hore:

+1 for the Monte Rosa and especiallyt the Bernese Oberland tours (e.g. Grimsel pass to Oberaarjoch, Finsteraarhorn, Konkordia, and Mittelaletsch huts, with double nights at the huts to do extra summits).

Also, the Berliner Hoehenweg in the Zillertal Alps on the Austrian side, or the tour of the Rieserferner group just across the border in Italy, should fit the bill.

CB

In reply to SiWood:


That is quite a range of difficulty and seriousness, I would have said that suggestion 1 is a lot closer to the OPs objectives than 2, with 3 being intermediate between them. Personally I found the Gross Grunhorn quite an undertaking, while they would need to be careful about which objectives in the Monte Rosa group to pick to fall within their grade guidelines.

Of course all big mountains can get serious if you are caught out by adverse conditions.

In reply to Martin Hore:

There's a glacier tour in the Stubai Alps - there's a Cicerone guide that covers it as well as an easier Stubai tour (without glaciers).
http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/623/title/trekking-in-the...

In reply to Martin Hore:

Thanks everyone for your ideas and helpful comments.
Martin

In reply to Martin Hore:
fewer glaciers, but also worthwile: parts of the Tauern haute route - either krimml to heiligenblut including gerossvenediger & grossglockner, or start from kolm saigurn via sonnblick hocharn.

In reply to Martin Hore:

Clearly, Martin, your back is going from strength to strength! You'd have to look really hard to find anything to beat a tour in the Oberland. Whether you choose E > W or W > E, come in from the S or from the Jungfraujoch (my preference), you can put together a fabulous trip incorporating as many or as few peaks as you want. It's made for what you want to do! Don't hesitate to email me if you'd like any info.