Seetal Express: Eckwand & Latschur

Opportunity makes thieves!

The Seetal is known for easy to moderate ski tours; recently it has also become an attractive playground for ambitious ski mountaineers – this secluded gem has quite a few real highlights to offer!

The daring circular route begins at the Seetal parking lot; first, you descend via the Gusenalm into the Gusengraben. From there, via the Siflitzeralm, steeply and directly to the grim north side of the Eckwand.

The first key spot opens right at the start; here, the 30m high steep step of rock and ice needs to be overcome – depending on current conditions, difficulties range around III+/WI2-3/M2-3 and must be protected with mobile protection devices!

With climbing through this demanding rope length, your ticket to a novel world is obtained! The approximately 250m long north couloir awaits the rare guests with a continuous steepness of 45° - 50°, interrupted by two steep steps of 60° to overcome...

Finally, the impressive couloir leads into the steep north face of the Eckwand; the last meters can be tackled again with skis strapped on.

Next follows the first exciting descent, first down the above-mentioned flank, then through a very steep couloir (>45°), reached to the valley floor!

Here, skins are put back on; the ascent of the Latschur is completed in about an hour in moderate terrain!

The following second descent makes your pulse soar as you enter the steep north face! After some elegant turns, the key passage of this downhill is reached: the abseil spot before the narrow bottleneck!

The station with two drilled bolts plus abseil ring is located – protected and unmistakable – on the left side in the direction of descent, on a prominent rock spur!

A 30m rope suffices here to slide through the steep narrow passage – afterwards, skis can be put on again.

The next narrow spot follows immediately but can be just slid through with compact snow cover. 

After successfully passing this spot, perfect ski terrain with a steepness of a bit over 40° opens up, evoking a touch of Dolomite feeling! 

The Granitzer Couloir leads into the north face, offering fun on firm snow terrain with about 35° steepness...

The further descent leads through open forest until the known path at the level of the Siflitzeralmen is reached. This leads back into the Gusengraben where the skis must be skinned once more!

The opposing ascent via the Gusenalm and Kapelleralm stretches a bit and demands the last reserves – finally, the starting point at the Seetal is reached.

At the end of this spectacular route day, serotonin levels have soared to extreme heights, and the impressive impressions will linger for a long time!