On an unseasonably warm afternoon at the beginning of March, AACZ members convened in Klosters for a weekend of ski camping in the Schlappintal. This long, dead-end valley has no public huts and, even with lift-assisted access from the Madrisahorn ski resort, most peaks are a full-day endeavour. Since ski camping is partly about solitude, Michael had eyed the Schlappental as a perfect candidate for a remarkable weekend.
We were lucky that a ski run for Madrishorn follows the bottom part of our approach, as without it we would have been walking up grass for many kilometers. After a quick Glühwein in Schlappin, we turned right and continued up the much quieter upper valley, accompanied by the last rays of the setting sun. We established camp, some in tents and some on the straw floor of the conveniently-open barn and settled in for a cold night.
The next day, after shaking off the morning shivers and basking in the first sunlight, we headed up to the end of the valley to ski the Leidhorn and the Chessispitz. The safe avalanche conditions combined with protected north faces still filled with powder made for an unforgettable day of skiing, only further enhanced by the great company and lonely position.
After another cold night we were ready for some more summits and powder, with the Schlidflue being the perfect cherry-on-top to a wonderful weekend. Open untouched ski slopes gave way to a technical summit ridgeline. From the top we could survey everything we’d done over the last few days before dropping into another whoop-filled descent full of amazing snow.
