Small guide to ski mountaineering, to practice it in maximum safety The ski alp experience is always beautiful, but you need to rely on expert hands and have the right equipment
The experience of ski mountaineering is all-encompassing, far from the crowds of the ski lifts enjoying the silence and nature. Once you try it, they say, nothing will be the same as before. It's not about denying your past as a track racer, we miss it, but ski mountaineering gives you something more: it teaches that there is no satisfaction without effort. First there is the climb, with its hardships and its emotions; then the freeride descent on immaculate slopes. A final prize, or something very similar.
We accepted the invitation of Homeland Montespluga-Madesimo, a reality created to bring people closer to skialp and offer services and training opportunities to those who already know these disciplines. Their headquarters is in Montespluga (a hamlet of Madesimo, province of Sondrio, just over 2 hours from Milan), an alpine village at 1900 meters uninhabited in winter, which is the outpost of the alpine area of the same name, a stone's throw from the border Swiss.
The two containers placed on the road to the pass, home of Homeland, do not go unnoticed. Inside the structure - complete with an area for safety briefings - there is everything you need to learn about ski mountaineering. You can rent equipment and book excursions with Alpine Guides of different difficulties, from first experience to steep alp ski clinic. Safety courses are also held here, to gain mastery and autonomy in the event of self-rescue in an avalanche. Finally, the more adventurous can decide to spend the night in a tent in the snow with a camp set up.
«Ski mountaineering is the practice that gives you the freedom in the mountains to break away from the standard. And it is not binding at any level, everyone can find their own spaces: you can climb a lot, or a little, but the emotion it gives you is the same: exploring and playing in uncontaminated spaces", our Alpine Guide explains to us Nicola Ciapponi, who accompanied us in this experience.
Ski mountaineering equipment
To practice skialp you need the right equipment, capable of guaranteeing safety, comfort and performance. Skis suitable for practice, lighter and wider than track ones to facilitate climbing and floating in the fresh snow when descending, specific bindings capable of allowing the movement of the heel when ascending and being blocked when descending and then specific boots, generally more small and light, sturdy poles and obviously the sealskins that you take off when going downhill. These are two strips of synthetic fabric (only in the past they were made of real sealskin), which attach and detach from the skis or board through an adhesive membrane. This layer allows you to stay attached to the snow when going uphill and to "walk" with the ski, making it slide. There is also an option for snowboarders: the splitboard, the board designed for climbing.
For the first outings, the advice is to rely on a rental company, to try out the equipment and find the most suitable one. Naturally you need a backpack to store the equipment with any crampons (if you choose to travel difficult, steep and icy sections). Helmets are also highly recommended. For clothing, it is better to dress in layers, with a technical shell, to allow perspiration during the ascent phase and to be well protected during the descent phase. And then the safety kit made up of A.R.V.A. (Avalanche Search Device), shovel and probe, mandatory for "in-environment" ski mountaineering.
What is the ARVA used for and how does it work
Before any experience in the environment, for beginners, it is essential to know and know how to use the "sacred triad" of off-piste safety: avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe. Tools that are essential not only to wear, but also to know how to use. «Many people think that having the tools is enough. Nothing could be more wrong: knowing how to use them is essential. But even if you know how it works, because we have already taken a course in the past, it is good to refresh your memory every now and then, doing periodic simulations, in order to acquire the automatisms which in an emergency situation are fundamental to remaining clear-headed", we explains Nicola, who before skinning makes us do a first aid simulation by burying a padded bag on a slope, our "sacrificial victim" to be found before the fateful time limit. Yes, because to have a good chance of extracting someone buried alive from an avalanche you have to hurry: the statistical limit for survival under an avalanche is just 15-18 minutes. «There are not many, but they can be enough to save a human life. Naturally, before carrying out the search, the first thing to do is call for help", explains Nicola, underlining the importance of asking for help promptly.
The ARVA is essentially a short-range transceiver which, when worn, can be activated both in transmission and reception mode: the latter is the mode that rescuers activate to be able to identify one or more people caught in an avalanche while they are still alive. The signal is more intense as we get closer to the instrument which tells us how many meters we are from the target. Once the buried body has been located, it is the turn of the probe, a telescopic stick which, inserted into the snow, is used to locate the body exactly and also to understand how deep it is. At that point we start digging with our fingers crossed. At least our bag is safe.
Skialp itineraries in Montespluga
In this corner nestled between the Lepontine Alps there are many itineraries that can be followed, even with the help of a guide. The opportunities vary depending on the level of difficulty you intend to face, with differences in altitude ranging from 1000 to 1500 metres. Among the most beautiful peaks reachable with skins is Pizzo Tambò (3096 m) starting from the Spluga Pass (2110 m). Not far away, Pizzo Ferrè (3103 m) is another interesting option, which involves starting from the village of Montespluga up to the Cecchini bivouac, covering the entire Val Loga. The excursion to Cima Bardan at 2962 meters is longer - about 5 hours. It starts from the nucleus of Isola at 1260 meters and travels along the entire Val Febbraro until reaching the crest. If you have any doubts, just ask the guides at Homeland, which periodically organizes open days to introduce the curious and newbies to the practice of ski mountaineering.
We accepted the invitation of Homeland Montespluga-Madesimo, a reality created to bring people closer to skialp and offer services and training opportunities to those who already know these disciplines. Their headquarters is in Montespluga (a hamlet of Madesimo, province of Sondrio, just over 2 hours from Milan), an alpine village at 1900 meters uninhabited in winter, which is the outpost of the alpine area of the same name, a stone's throw from the border Swiss.
The two containers placed on the road to the pass, home of Homeland, do not go unnoticed. Inside the structure - complete with an area for safety briefings - there is everything you need to learn about ski mountaineering. You can rent equipment and book excursions with Alpine Guides of different difficulties, from first experience to steep alp ski clinic. Safety courses are also held here, to gain mastery and autonomy in the event of self-rescue in an avalanche. Finally, the more adventurous can decide to spend the night in a tent in the snow with a camp set up.
«Ski mountaineering is the practice that gives you the freedom in the mountains to break away from the standard. And it is not binding at any level, everyone can find their own spaces: you can climb a lot, or a little, but the emotion it gives you is the same: exploring and playing in uncontaminated spaces", our Alpine Guide explains to us Nicola Ciapponi, who accompanied us in this experience.
Ski mountaineering equipment
To practice skialp you need the right equipment, capable of guaranteeing safety, comfort and performance. Skis suitable for practice, lighter and wider than track ones to facilitate climbing and floating in the fresh snow when descending, specific bindings capable of allowing the movement of the heel when ascending and being blocked when descending and then specific boots, generally more small and light, sturdy poles and obviously the sealskins that you take off when going downhill. These are two strips of synthetic fabric (only in the past they were made of real sealskin), which attach and detach from the skis or board through an adhesive membrane. This layer allows you to stay attached to the snow when going uphill and to "walk" with the ski, making it slide. There is also an option for snowboarders: the splitboard, the board designed for climbing.
For the first outings, the advice is to rely on a rental company, to try out the equipment and find the most suitable one. Naturally you need a backpack to store the equipment with any crampons (if you choose to travel difficult, steep and icy sections). Helmets are also highly recommended. For clothing, it is better to dress in layers, with a technical shell, to allow perspiration during the ascent phase and to be well protected during the descent phase. And then the safety kit made up of A.R.V.A. (Avalanche Search Device), shovel and probe, mandatory for "in-environment" ski mountaineering.
What is the ARVA used for and how does it work
Before any experience in the environment, for beginners, it is essential to know and know how to use the "sacred triad" of off-piste safety: avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe. Tools that are essential not only to wear, but also to know how to use. «Many people think that having the tools is enough. Nothing could be more wrong: knowing how to use them is essential. But even if you know how it works, because we have already taken a course in the past, it is good to refresh your memory every now and then, doing periodic simulations, in order to acquire the automatisms which in an emergency situation are fundamental to remaining clear-headed", we explains Nicola, who before skinning makes us do a first aid simulation by burying a padded bag on a slope, our "sacrificial victim" to be found before the fateful time limit. Yes, because to have a good chance of extracting someone buried alive from an avalanche you have to hurry: the statistical limit for survival under an avalanche is just 15-18 minutes. «There are not many, but they can be enough to save a human life. Naturally, before carrying out the search, the first thing to do is call for help", explains Nicola, underlining the importance of asking for help promptly.
The ARVA is essentially a short-range transceiver which, when worn, can be activated both in transmission and reception mode: the latter is the mode that rescuers activate to be able to identify one or more people caught in an avalanche while they are still alive. The signal is more intense as we get closer to the instrument which tells us how many meters we are from the target. Once the buried body has been located, it is the turn of the probe, a telescopic stick which, inserted into the snow, is used to locate the body exactly and also to understand how deep it is. At that point we start digging with our fingers crossed. At least our bag is safe.
Skialp itineraries in Montespluga
In this corner nestled between the Lepontine Alps there are many itineraries that can be followed, even with the help of a guide. The opportunities vary depending on the level of difficulty you intend to face, with differences in altitude ranging from 1000 to 1500 metres. Among the most beautiful peaks reachable with skins is Pizzo Tambò (3096 m) starting from the Spluga Pass (2110 m). Not far away, Pizzo Ferrè (3103 m) is another interesting option, which involves starting from the village of Montespluga up to the Cecchini bivouac, covering the entire Val Loga. The excursion to Cima Bardan at 2962 meters is longer - about 5 hours. It starts from the nucleus of Isola at 1260 meters and travels along the entire Val Febbraro until reaching the crest. If you have any doubts, just ask the guides at Homeland, which periodically organizes open days to introduce the curious and newbies to the practice of ski mountaineering.