Winter approach to Vernagthütte from Vent

From the bus stop in Vent, you walk a short distance on foot between the houses to a large wooden bridge at the edge of the village. Here you put on your skis and follow the mostly groomed path along the Rofen Ache. At Rofen, you cross the river via a steel suspension bridge. West of the farmstead, a mostly groomed track continues to the material cableway. From here, the track becomes noticeably steeper. You roughly follow the course of the summer trail, cross a stream (often carrying is necessary in spring), and then continue uphill. Depending on the season, you have to avoid more or fewer alpine rose bushes. You reach a ridge (called Plattei or Vernagtegg). If the snow conditions allow, you stay a little lower and go along below the corner, roughly where the summer trail runs. You can also keep a little higher (here the wider track often runs and poles mark the way), then you ski a few turns with skins west of the corner and meet the summer trail again. A narrow, partly exposed traverse follows. Depending on the snow conditions, the cable protections may be exposed. With sufficient snow, you can ski; late in spring you have to carry. The path is slippery and muddy. After that, you cross long and flat into the cirque; the track is no longer exposed. In the cirque, the final ascent to the hut follows, which is already in sight. The terrain here is often heavily tracked, and there are several ascent variants.