Pleisenspitze Skiing

Published on 2008-4-15 by Michael Stanton

Pleisenspitze ski

April, 2008

I had the morning free so I went for a ski up the Pleisenspitze.

Snow was absent at the trailhead, but after about a mile of walking I could start skinning up. Lots of icy dirt road skiing, then I reached the hut where the view became incredible. It was still early, and it hadn't snowed in a long time, so the conditions up on the summit ridge were terribly icy. I wished for ski crampons. Finally, I had to take off my skis and kick steps up moderate but super icy slopes. Really irritating! But the weather was amazing, all the Karwendel peaks were out. I had a companion, "Flat Lexi," and I showed her the view on the summit.

Here are pictures from the Flat Leki gallery Kris maintains.

Flat Lexi wanted to see the mountains, so our Daddy took her on a ski expedition. They skied UP the mountain. Here is Flat Lexi near the summit. The mountain is called the Pleisenspitze.

It was a beautiful day on the Pleisenspitze. Flat Lexi is standing in Germany, but the mountains behind her are in another country! They are in Austria.

Daddy likes to listen to music when he skis up a mountain. Flat Lexi wanted to listen too, but the headphones didn't fit her.

It was so windy on the summit, Daddy and Flat Lexi could barely stand up! But Daddy said Flat Lexi thought it was beautiful there.

Do you see the white snow down in the valley? That's the town where Daddy parked the car. Flat Lexi is thinking about how much warmer it is down there!

Flat Lexi is really tired. She took a nap once they got below the snow line and it was warm. Daddy had to watch her and make sure the wind didn't take her away!

"I like this place," said Flat Lexi. She said she could play in the meadow beneath the mountains all day long. But it was time to go home. Flat Lexi says she'll be back for more mountains some day!

I was worried about the steepness on the way down, but it was great skiing. It was "firn" snow, much like a ski piste, and I felt really great. I loved the deeper snow near the hut, picking my own line through little trees.

But then the hell! The skiing on the road was just awful. Icy, terrifying tracks. I actually fell off the road one time and had to catch myself from going over a cliff! Oh brother. Later I left the road for even worse breakable crust in the forest. Oh man, the curses were flying! But finally I was down, and going home around noon.