2009 - D T Price - the DHO

Thursday
The storm had continued through the night, and still no
visibility, so we took the cable car down to Leukerbad, drove
to the Torrenthorn area nearby and took the telecabine up.
Skies cleared and with hardly a person around, except for the
Swiss Ski Team, we were able to enjoy 70cms of powder in the
open and through the trees. We were split into two groups
and, after some ski technique lessons and stretching exercises
(that exposed a few deficiencies amongst those who thought
they knew better!) we were let loose: Rene’s group sent on their
way with the cry of “just do it”. Jane and Ian both did a bit of
tree hugging (though not together) and Trish’s buried skis took
some finding and cost her a few beers later. Lunch in the palatial
lift restaurant and afterwards we went even higher when some
T-bars opened. A remarkable day of off piste skiing. Back up to
the Gemmi where we saw some bearded eagles and had another
excellent meal and more film of our exploits.
Friday
Breakfast at 7.30am and left Hotel at 8.00. Poor visibility but
less wind. Skied part way down to Lake Daubensee, then, as we
climbed for 1½ hours up the Lammeran, the weather began to
clear and we could see some peaks. The climb was abbreviated
owing to avalanche danger. We skied down in increasingly
heavy powder to the lake, skinned back along it and climbed
back up to the Hotel, to see for the first time the panorama
of the mountain tops, from the gleaming Dent Blanche to that
evocative mountain the Matterhorn in the distance. Lunch in
the Hotel and down in the 1.30pm bucket. Ian McCormick
succeeded in leaving his ski behind, which slightly delayed our
departure (after much hugging and kissing and “see you next
year”) from a most memorable tour which was so imaginatively
arranged and executed by Adolph, aided and abetted by Rene.
Trish Dale
(Below) Blasting the powder
Downhill only Journal 2009
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