Last week I taught a glacier travel course with fellow guide Boris Lorenčič in the Piz Palü area. I jumped in as a replacement for Matej Kovačič, who suffered an unfortunate injury. Afterwards, Lori travelled to Chamonix, where he'll be staying until the end of September, and I returned to Slovenia. We drove past Salzburg, Innsbruck, and towards St. Moritz, before heading for Pontresina. The trip took us ten hours, although we planned on driving for no more than eight.
We set up base camp at the Diavolezza hut (2,900 m), where our guests learned how to use crampons and ice axes in snow, ice, and on rock. We climbed Munt Pers (3,201 m) on the first day, before splitting into two groups. One of the groups headed for Piz Cambrena (3,606 m) on the second day, while the other one tackled Piz Trovat (3,146 m). We were surprised by large amounts of snow, which at times was even waist deep. The stronger group climbed Piz Palü (3,901 m) on the third day, and the other group headed for Fortezza.
The guests learned how to use crampons, ice axes, and ropes. They also got acquainted with glacier travel and short-roping techniques. We enjoyed mild temperatures and nice weather, while deep wet snow caused us some minor problems. All the guests acclimatized quite nicely for the upcoming trip to Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain.
Danilo Tič
