Hüenerchopf from Mels Plons – a hearty ski season opener

Most of the people start in Vermol in order to get up to the Hüenerchopf. If there’s enough snow you can start the ski tour all the way down in Mels Plons – if you do so you get 1700 meters in altitude difference which you can ski down, but you have to walk it all up too... For a season opener it was kind of a lot and there wasn’t really enough snow all the way down.

After getting of the bus in  Mels, Plons, I walked along the Tilserstrasse to the first turn. There I went back towards the forest and because there wasn’t really enough snow I walked a few hundred meters without putting on my skis yet. When the snow layer was continuous I put my skis on and walked to Ludi, then through a short stretch in the forest and after that up to Mädris. Right after the farmhouse I followed the right side of the Schmelzlibach to the street which goes to Parmort. One doesn’t have to follow the street but can take shortcuts. In one of these shortcuts I met the gamekeeper of the area and had a long chat with him, about dear, lynxes, his hounds and other hunting related topics - it was very interesting.

After Parmort I continued up to Hochschwendi and P. 1459, through the Chirchwald and then slowly turning left to Geissegg and up to the Glättli, where I joined up with the route coming from Vermol. The rest of the way up to Hüenerchopf went to Chrumbäche and then to the little saddle between Broch and Hüenerchopf and along the ridge up to the ski depot below summit. The last stretch up to the summit is usually done by foot.

For my way down I first skied to hut of Tamons-Vorsäss  and about a third way down Alpstutz, then traversing left through Luggenböden back to Hochschwendi and Parmort and from there back down the way I came up.

A few remarks

• I was surprised how little snow there was between the summit and Tamons-Vorsäss, because further down there was way more snow – the wind probably blew it all down there. Nothing for you who just bought new skis :-)
• There was comfortably enough snow above Mädris, but below that there wasn’t. For my old skis it was just enough (because with these skis I can also ski on half grass half snow :-), the last few hundred meters I walked down along the street though.
• If there is deep powder like on this day, below Tamons-Vorsäss, the slopes to ski down are not really steep enough and sometimes you even have to push, but that’s why it is also an avalanche safe route.

 Mels, Plons – Ludi – Mädris – Parmort – Hochschwendi - P. 1459 – Chirchwald – Geissegg – Glättli – Hüenerchopf - Tamons-Vorsäss – Alpstutz – Luggenböden – Hochschwendi – Parmort – Mädris – Ludi –  Mels, Plons