Whiteout

Five exhausting days for a single summit that doesn't even have a name. However, this should turn out to be one of our most beautiful ski touring weeks. The ingredients: The Haute Route in Grisons, rather modest weather, top snow quality on the north side, solitude, good company as well as culinary specialties in the huts, sauna included. Our criteria for a good trip are usually speedy descents, ideally north-south orientation, rustic huts and magical places for most natural experiences. Due to the snow conditions, we coincidently discovered a real pearl of the Alps. While the avalanche danger was high throughout the rest of Switzerland, it looked quite feasible in Grisons. Only the weather forecast wasn't all that good.

Full of expectations, we sweat our way up the usually comfortable 1,000 meters to the Chamanna digl Kesch at 30 degrees Celsius. It's early April. Mischa, the hut keeper, and Ana welcome us warmly. Today we are their only guests. Mischa, a proud Engadine local, tells us a little about the region. The conversation quickly develops into a discussion about the philosophy of mountaineering. Our hearts are beating for the same thing – and this is one of the places where we know the reason why. Later, Ana reads from her book about her crossing of the Alps. We have one more schnapps and go to bed. We want to get up early in the morning. The next day, we finally set out for Piz d'Es-cha, one of the most striking and spectacular peaks in the region.

Mischa had to cancel an ascent the day before due to the conditions and shows us the pictures. It's unclear whether this will help us. We already encounter a whiteout when we approach the saddle. Nevertheless, we continue and even reach the saddle where we meet hip-deep snow, strong winds, and a completely frozen iron chain. All this gives us an idea of what to expect at the summit. From the ski depot, we climb further to the ridge. It's better than expected. We don't see Mischa's tracks from the day before anymore, but somewhere around here, he must have turned around. A long traverse over a snowfield and the howling wind that drives the clouds in front of us and chases small snow grains into our eyes show us our limits.

We hold on tight and struggle with every meter. In the end, we must realize that it's not possible. We turn around. As soon as we get back to the ski depot and ski the first meters through dense fog, the wind suddenly carries away the clouds. The sky above us is clear and blue. Protected from the wind by large rock walls, we ski over the Kesch glacier though wonderful powder and discover what is probably the most beautiful line of Piz d'Es-cha. The warming sunbeams encourage us to dare another ascent. The cold and the struggle of the last few hours are gone. And it is worth it – what a powder run!

We reach the Chamanna digl Kesch on time, a hut with a certified eco-label and even a small movie theatre: "The white hell of Piz Palü" and other mountain classics belong to the repertoire. But first, we need to modify our plans for the next days. The weather forecast is modest but feasible. We enjoy coffee and cake. A relaxing night gives us the courage and strength to leave the standard route – despite bad forecasts – and to plan our endeavors with a bit more downhill action than originally intended. The next day, we reach our first and only summit. It doesn't even have a name and would be a walk in the park when the conditions are good.

But since the wind almost blows us off the ridge, we constantly have to carry our skis and trudge through hip-deep drifts. We feel like part of the movie "The white hell of Piz Palü." The summit challenges us, but we make it. Once more, the northern, snowy slopes prove to be the fulfillment of all our powder-related dreams. We draw one turn after another into the playful, untouched terrain. The summits around us keep the wind off. In the valley basin, the temperature reaches 30 degrees celsius again. We try to move on quickly because the avalanche situation should not be underestimated. Again, we sweat on the first meters of the ascent. As soon as we reach 3,000 meters, clouds enter the scene, the wind picks up, and it starts snowing.

A few meters before the next summit, the Scalettahorn, we have to turn around again. Fortunately, we find the gap that leads us to the Grialetsch glacier despite the heavy fog. From there, it's only downhill to the Chamanna da Grialetsch. While there's a mix of sun, fog, and snowfall outside, we enjoy a beer and warm ourselves at the oven in the hut. We philosophize and conclude that the most memorable days are those when the mountain shows us who's the real boss. At night, it starts to snow heavily, but we don't worry when we go to bed because we know the sun will shine the next day. Again, we deviate from the standard route. Instead of heading to Davos, we decide to hike back to the Engadine via Piz Sarsura and through the Val Barlas-ch.

We can't miss 2,000 meters of downhill when the conditions are epic! This is where we can once again experience the full beauty of this region. There is plenty of fresh snow, and we draw beautiful lines into the snow cover without a soul around. Further down in the valley, deer jump over massive avalanche cones from early winter. We stop, listen to the peaceful sounds of nature and enjoy the moment. On the way home, we contact friends who were traveling in other regions of the Alps. There were avalanche accidents, injuries, frustration. The dangerous conditions led us to a real pearl with peaks rarely higher than 3,000 meters, but with challenging descents and gullies. One thing is for sure: we will come back because there is so much more to see and do.