Three colleagues and I arrived at Giferspitz to begin the season's first ski tour. The group was motivated and energetic, with banter flowing throughout. However, I had forgotten my ski poles and improvised using tree stumps instead. This hindered me a bit during the 700-metre vertical ascent.
The ascent proved successful, reaching a cairn with a summit book where we recorded our achievement. The descent proved challenging due to thin, crusty snow conditions and my lack of proper poles. We safely returned to our vehicles and reflected on the quality afternoon, appreciating our ability to ski tour after work in beautiful scenery.
Back at the chalet, Warren and I decided to continue, skinning up Horneggli, another 700 metres, in 43 minutes. We arrived at the summit for sunset, which gave way to a full moon that illuminated the valley, providing a fantastic moonlit descent. Good times, happy days!