March 22 - March 29: Great Cairn Instructional Week
April 12 - April 19: Selkirks Fly-in Ski Camp
I've done Fairy Meadows every three years, winning a week in the lottery each time. This time I did not. Hopefully next spring I will. So this spring instead of Fairy Meadows I will be organizing a base-camp trip where we fly in by helicopter and set up for a week.
Mid-May: Spring Skiing in the Austrian Alps
I have been meaning to try this for several years now, and the time has come. This is very much the off-season but the touring can be excellent. The huts are closed but the winter rooms are available, some of which are pretty comfortable. Access will be by skiing/walking, but supplies may be taken in some other way depending on the hut and what arrangements are possible. Winter rooms have only a nominal fee, most people consider them to be free. If there are a small group of us we will pay the appropriate fees and I will probably be in contact with the hut-master about a few details. There is no reservation system but the high huts are very infrequently used this time of year. No matter which hut I choose as a base there will be many options for ski mountaineering to summits as well as tours to and from other huts within a days travel. I don't have any group size in mind but this will be a small trip.
Note that skiing usually needs to be done early this time of year - plan to start by or near dawn and be enjoying a beer in the sun by afternoon.
There is absolutely no sheltered tree sking this time of year, so poor weather means being hut bound or shifting the days a bit. The trip will be planned as a week in the huts, but I encourage you to leave some extra time before and after that week to adjust to the jet lag, enjoy the change of culture, and start or end the hut trip a day or two early or late if necessary.
Photos from past personal trips:
Contact me soon if you are interested.
Climbing page
