Guided Trips to the Sierra Nevada & Worldwide!

Pick a 14'er, any 14'er. The high peaks and lines on the Palisade Glacier.

High Sierra 14'ers Ski

Many have climbed the 13 High Sierra Fourteeners over the years, but how many people that you know have ever tried to ski any of them? Probably not too many we would imagine. Why? Because they are not so easy to ski. Conditions need to be just perfect to ski from anywhere close to the summits of many of them, and many Sierra 14'ers must be skied from well below the actual summit due to the rocky granitic nature of the peaks.

Our High Sierra Fourteeners Ski Program is one of the highest level ski mountaineering programs we offer due to the high degree of skill required to

Trip Itinerary | Prerequisites | Additional Information

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TRIP ITINERARY: Ortler Traverse

DAY 0

Welcomed by your guide(s) in the hotel in Sulden for an apertif. Immediately following this meeting we can get out the maps for a tour overview, and an equipment check for the trip.

DAY 1

 

Enjoy a day of lift-assisted off-piste skiing and touring.  Spend the evening in Sulden.

DAY 2

Take a ski lift in the morning from Sulden to the Madriccio Pass and descend the beautiful valley to the Zufalhutte for a cappuccino. Our destination is the Marteller Hut, a short climb up from there. With extra time we will ascend the Alta Glacier to the Cima Marmotta for an afternoon ski descent.

DAY 3

From the Marteller Hut we head up valley to the Cevedale Glacier. We will Summit Monte Cevedale and descend on skis from the summit down to the Cevedale-Pasquale Col and the South Flank of Cevedale to the Val di Rosole and the Branca Hut. The Branca has some of the best food on the trip and serves as a perfect basecamp for ski mountaineering day outings.

DAYS
4 - 6

From the Branca Hut there are many options. Punta San Matteo and Pizzo Tresero, and Palon De La Mare are absolute classic ski peaks and there are plenty of other great diversions and link-ups in the expansive Forni Glacier basin. On the afternoon of Day 6 we will tour up the Valle di Cedec to the impressive and deluxe Pizzini Hut, and arrive just in time for a refreshment on the patio.  

DAY 7

On this day we have options depending on conditions: either a ski descent of the Cedec Glacier on Monte Cevedale, or up to the Col Pale Rosse or the Konigsjoch. If conditions are perfect we may consider an ascent of the Gran Zebru (3851m). No matter what we choose it will involve the best skiing and vistas we can find. Evening at the Pizzini Hut.

DAY 8

Tour up to the Cevedale Pass to the Casati Hut (cappuccino of course) then over the shoulder of the Cima di Solda to the Solda Glacier where we take a beautiful glacier run down to the piste and eventually all the way back down to Sulden, completing the circuit! If weather does not cooperate, we will have a nice adventure, skiing down the valley to the picturesque village of Santa Catarina and shuttle from there back to Sulden to celebrate.

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Prerequisites:

  • Advanced-expert downhill skiing skills
  • Ability to control speed and execute fall-line turns in control and comfort in difficult snow conditions (deep powder, heavy and/or moist snow, breakable crust, firm or icy, etc.)
  • Ability to execute hop turns on 40 degree+, firm slopes, coming to a complete and immediate stop at the finish of each turn
  • Ability to sideslip forward and backward, with edge control, on steep, firm slopes
  • Experience ski touring in the backcountry using ski touring equipment (boots, bindings, skins, transceiver, shovel, probe, etc.
  • Ability to make uphill facing kick-turns in an uphill track on a slope
  • Very good fitness

Additional Information
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TRIP DETAILS

Trip Length:
8 days

Trip Difficulty:
Level 2.5

Guiding Ratio:

4:1

Cost:
$2100 per person

Recommended Prior SMG Programs:
Advanced Touring Skills Course
Sierra High Route

Corn Harvest Basecamp

Silvretta Traverse

Recommended Follow-up SMG Programs:
Palisades Crest Tour
Ski the 14'ers
Eastside Classics

Valdez Adventure Ski Wee