Zermatt - Cima Brioschi
22nd April 2007
click on photograph for larger version The last time I was in Zermatt was a couple of years ago for a BASI course on the glacier and I don’t know the area so well. During the week I’d been trying to come up with a plan for the weekend and decided to look at Zermatt or Saas Fee for some ski touring. Talking with the Alpin Center in Zermatt they suggested joining a group to the Cimo di Jazzi which sounded good, my first choice would have been the Breithorn, a nearby 4000m peak, followed by a descent of the Schwartztor but this isn’t skiable this late in the season. The Cimo di Jazzi is slightly lower at around 3800m.I used my GPS again to produce a KML track file, if you’ve got Google Earth properly installed just clicking this link should open Google Earth and display the route.Google Earth Track Files
click on photograph for larger version After a very early start from Zinal I drove round to Täsch and parked at the terminal there to ride the shuttle up to Zermatt. I’d arrived up in Zermatt before 0700 and the town is alive with other ski tourers at that time trying to get an early start. After a couple of cups of coffee I met the guide and group at the Gornergratbahn station and we started to ride the lifts to the Stockhorn.
click on photograph for larger version The group was only four people including myself and I found the pace about right for me which is always a concern in these ad-hoc groups for skiing particularly where we’re making an ascent.
click on photograph for larger version The route starts with a short walk, a short ski and then fair distance on skins. It’s not such a bad climb but it was hot spring day and of course, as it’s a glacier route, your rucksack is heavy with with equipment and safety gear, the usual avalanche kit plus, for me, ice axe, climbing harness and crampons etc.
click on photograph for larger version We headed first for the Cima Brioschi which is the smallest peak, barely a rise in fact, on the ridge on the above left photograph.
click on photograph for larger version Above, on the Cima Brioschi, this is just inside Italy and it was here we took a short break for lunch and to admire the view.
click on photograph for larger version From here we skied down a little, put our skins back and climbed up to the Cima di Jazza to make the descent down the Findelgletscher towards Gant.
click on photograph for larger version The snow on the descent was a little awkward in places but generally quite good. My new Stormrider PIT lights are fairly reasonable but have a small “sweet spot” and you need to be fairly precise with them, I need to ski them a little more to get used them and this was only the second day out and the first proper tour.
click on photograph for larger version After arriving at Gant we took a the lift and skied down the piste to the Sunnegga restaurant and enjoyed some very welcome cold drinks. All in all it was an excellent day and a real bonus for the end of the season. And a big thank-you to the guide for leading us and the other people in the group for having some patience with me fiddling with my bindings all the time, I’m not totally familiar with the dynafits yet and it’s taking me a little while to keep attaching them!
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