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White, far and hiking – on skis

White, far and hiking – on skis

Wastl is a grassroots democrat. At least that’s what he says, because “now it’s time to ski down together!”, he laughs and throws himself down the untouched steep slope on his powder skis like a dictator. As if there were no tomorrow. We have to follow. By “consensual” Wastl, who has been a mountain guide for decades and despite his age by far the fittest of us, means that we should simply follow him. He knows the best leads, and by the way, grassroots democracy is new-modern stuff that doesn’t belong here in the mountains. Just as little as gender, says the “mountain guide” shaking his head and grinning as we sit together tired and happy with a beer at Max, the landlord of the Oberlandhütte, in the cozy room and let the Lord be a good man.

We soon creep carefree into our sleeping bags, because others take care of the organization and the luggage transport to the next accommodation – we just have to show up for breakfast on time and in ski touring clothes.

White, wide and hiking - on skisWhite, wide and hiking - on skis

The folder for the KAT ski tour uses the slogan “six-day carefree package” to attract interested parties. And indeed: the guided long-distance ski touring hike in the Kitzbühel Alps, planned for six snowy days, is still remembered six months after the experience last late winter as a carefree and grandiose end to the winter on skis. The only thing you should worry about is your own physical condition. At least 1200 vertical meters or three to four hours of ascent and sometimes – thanks to the use of lifts and other ascent aids – much longer descents have to give up your legs in any case. And not just on the first day, but each of the up to six days. When it comes to skiing, you should be safe on the slopes, otherwise the carefree package is guaranteed. However, if these two conditions are met, nothing stands in the way of a grandiose and intensive experience of nature and skiing.

The tour, which lasts several days, usually starts at the hotel in Hopfgarten, which you can easily get to by train. One of the Kitzbühel mountain and ski guides – in our case the original Wastl Fürstaller – gives us an introduction and refresher course on the subject of equipment and avalanche awareness. The weather will be good, the snow is mobile. The avalanche report? “I’m outside every day anyway and I get everything.”

White, wide and hiking - on skisWhite, wide and hiking - on skis

The next morning we start – because we are doing a shortened press tour – over the Steinbergstein (2215 m) to beautiful downhill terrain in the direction of Windau. Entering the right slope from the highest point is not easy today, even for the experienced Wastl – dense fog has settled over the summit, we can’t see twenty meters. It is the first situation in which we, who are unfamiliar with the area, are very happy to have someone with us who really knows his stuff. Alone we would have been lost here, a descent into the unknown could have been ugly.

Hundreds of ski tourers make their tracks through the landscape in the Kitzbühel Alps every day (Wastl: “You are never alone here in the grassy mountains”), but the KAT mountain guide somehow manages to find untracked powder slopes for us KAT, even in spring after a long period without precipitation – to find tourists. The jubilation is great to hear the Juchitzer and its echo far into the valley. When the weather is glorious, as in our case, the Gerstinger Joch (2035 m) offers a magnificent alpine backdrop, including the Grossglockner and the Venice Group, from whose crest an imposing snow flag blows that can be seen from afar.

A highlight of these days is definitely the ride with the snow groomer. A 2-seater chair lift takes us from Kitzbühel up to the Bichlalm, then a “snow cat”, a converted snow groomer, takes us a little higher to the end of the old drag lift.

From there we climb five minutes to the Stuckkogel, the snow-covered peaks are framed by a bright blue sky on this day. We enjoy a number of brilliant powder descents (with a total of three intermediate climbs) in the direction of Fieberbrunn, our thighs are already burning when the author took a bottle of beer out of her backpack during a break, which she carried along hundreds of meters in altitude as a well-intentioned surprise for Wastl. The thank you was not only ignored by our “mountain guide” because it was frozen in the meantime, but also packed in the backpack with the strict reference “I’m on duty”. At least in his.

Fieberbrunn is known worldwide as a freeride area thanks to the Freeride World Tour. “Easy up, wild down” is the motto in the area, which is known for its deep snow slopes that can be skied without long ascents. In any case, we enjoy the last evening in the Hotel Alte Post, in particular the spacious wellness area, which gives our really tired muscles what they urgently need: relaxation.

  • Dates 2023: 7th-14th January 2023 (mountain guide: Reini Percht); January 28–4 February 2023 (mountain guide: Tom Rabl); 4th-11th March 2023 (mountain guide: Wastl Fürstaller)

Information about the CAT

The Kitzbüheler Alpen Trail (KAT) is a six-day ski/freeride tour with seven nights, guide, transfers and luggage transport (with a maximum of 20 kg) for 1890 euros. The tour was offered for the first time in 2021/22 and followed the summer long-distance hiking trail KAT Walk, which is however walked alone without a guide.

With the Skitouren-KAT, inns, huts and a wellness hotel are all booked with half board. Marching provisions are prepared for the tour days. A safety briefing is included. The group size is four to a maximum of seven participants. On request, the tour can be individually adapted or shortened.

  • Info: www.kitzbueheler-alpen.com/de/kat-skitour/weitwandern-auf-2-brettern.html

Source: Nachrichten

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