2004 Stubai Alps Ski Tour - Part 1

Jim Frankenfield; snowman@csac.org; 1-877-604-0166

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After a night in the Hochstubai winter room I returned over Wietenkarsattel to the top of Sulztalferner, which I had ascended the edge of the previous day. Where I had gained the saddle by keeping the crevasses on one side and the wet slide debris on the other my track had been covered slightly by a new wet slide. Not by very much and the slides were mostly small off of steep rocks, but it was interesting to observe. I had already skirted the debris side wider than the older track which was visible.

I did have some very pleasant skiing down around the crevasse onto the glacier. My goal was Daunjoch, the saddle to the right of the rounded peak, which required crossing the glacier with its crevasse fields. There is a route on the map marked as relatively safe across a flattish section and it is not an uncommon trip, but there are numerous crevasses for a solo crossing. Half way across I saw my friend Peter arrive in the joch and I felt more comfortable knowing somebody was watching lest something happen.

This picture was probably taken the day before since the weather changed while I was at the Hochstubai and there had been graupel pounding the one small window at one point, as well as lightening in the distance. So when I crossed to Daunjoch it was gray and overcast and the snow had not refrozen overnight at all. This slowed me a bit so I was a little later at the joch than Peter, but for me this offered the benefit of somebody watching while I crossed the glacier in the warm wet snow conditions.

Sulztalferner

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