Kleinwalsertal is a part of Austria which can only be accessed through Germany. With its four villages (Riezlern, Hirschegg, Mittelberg and Baad), it sits at an elevation of between 1,000 m and 2,500 m. Baad (1,244 m) is the smallest as well as the highest of the four villages, and to go any higher, you have to walk or skin, since Baad is completely surrounded by the mountains.
Baad is the starting point for numerous ski tours into the surrounding valleys (Bärgunttal, Derratal, Starzeltal, Derratal and Duratal). We decided to skin up to Gamsfuss, a tour which starts in the Bärgunttal before reaching Stierlochalpe and the Bärgunt Hut (1,394 m). We arrived on an open slope where the sun caught us, and then skinned underneath the steep walls of Heiterberg before reaching a beautiful cirque. A well-established skin track lead us onto a ridge to the right (approximately 2,000 m), where we stopped for lunch and enjoyed the views of Vorladelberg on one side and Ifen on the other side.
After eating our lunch, we were ready for skiing and powder and soft snow awaited us. We enjoyed nice turns in soft snow until reaching the forest, where we followed an old trail down to the hut. We stopped there for a quick break before skiing back to Baad. We enjoyed another great day with plenty of new lines and fresh tracks.
Danilo Tič
