Selun

There was snow up high, and I always wanted to try Selun. There was not a lot of snow in the valley, so instead of carrying the skis all the way to the snowline, I decided to unpack my old snowshoes. I wanted to try it first on snowshoes as well, before committing myself to a ski attempt, perhaps next year.

Now, that was not a bad choice. I had to climb for at least 400m before I finally hit enough snow to warrant using my snowshoes. The snowshoes I have are an old Atlas pair, with a tubular frame, and they are not the best for steep terrain, as they only have the crampons underfoot. However, I thought they would be adequate for this tour.

After Schoenboden, the way opened up and it was nearly flat, open space. The snowshoes held quite well, without much slipping. However, I was not floating much on the snow, which at that point was quite firm and crusty. When I reached the main ridge, I saw two skiers coming down, with a dog. They must have started quite early! They can't have found it very easy, as one of them seemed to fall a couple of times. I later passed some other snowshoeing group... until one of them passed me again at the steepest part. Truly, the last part of the ascent was a horrible slog for me. I would barely climb forwards in those snowshoes, as I would either sink or slip backwards with every step.

Finally, after more than 3.5 hours, I was at the top. I only took a brief break for pictures and a snack before rushing down, as I had to go to IKEA, but that's another story!