This time you can join me on my hike to Imitzberg OE/OO-403 on a snow shoes hike. The recent snowfall and high winds let me choose this summit to avoid the risk of avalanches.
This route is not a typical winter hike so I needed some extra endurance to pound thru the snow.
During the activation wind was getting stronger but I was so in the “zone” that I hardly noticed.
Nice QSO with Heinz OE5EEP - he uploaded the GPX file for this hike - and also with Guru @EA2IF wishing him all the best for his difficult health situation made it an activation to remember.
Summit to summit with Antonio @EC2AG and Alain @F5ODQ also on the video.
I hope you enjoy. This time only music in the intro and on the way back. I kept it quiet so that you can hear more the snow and wind around me.
You made the right choice about the avalanche risk. Nine dead in the Tyrol this weekend from avalanches. The worst figures on record according to one report.
I have seen the bad news of course on Austrian news too. They raised the rating now to 4 out of 5 for Tyrol.
Upper Austria - OE/OO - were I mostly activate is not so critical now. We are at level 2 in most areas.
The hike was already one week before and the situation was more challenging. All summits with winter bonus in my area were either too exposed or one would need to do a 1000m vertical ascent on snowshoes in deep snow. I am not unfit but that is too much.
Not in any weather hi but I need to get out on the weekend for my mental recovery from work. And to stay also fit too. And a nice story to share. A win-win-win as they say.
Joe, tu report, my son wants to have snow shoes. I told him, forget it, let’s take the skies. How do you think about it? I did OE/ST-228 today and felt very lucky to have skies underneath my… At least for the descent, which was pretty fast.
I understand, it depends on the track and sometimes it is not easy to decide. I personally prefer the skies, although on a track where you have to put on and off the ski skins every other minute it gets boring.
vy 73 Martin
I am also thinking about giving touring skis a try. I just don’t like the effort with all the extra equipment needed (recommended) like Pips, shovel, probe and so on. The time to ski down is of course a big advantage.
Overall I enjoy the slower pace of snowshoe hiking especially going solo. With touring ski the risk of falling/hitting a tree stump (of full tree) are just higher from my point of view. As a group I think things are a bit different.
But as usual a matter of experience and learning risk management.
And by the way after a question by Guru on the origin of the name Imitzberg I did some reseach and to my surprise found an answer. Now documented at the summit info pages: Sotadata3
Now that’s a real winter activation! I tried out my new snowshoes for the first time last weekend on the Reithkogel (OE/ST-277):
Nowhere near as taxing as your summit, but the snowshoes certainly helped. There is a Hochsitz on the Reithkogel summit that would provide some shelter on windy days:
I think this weekend is going to be much better weather-wise; looking forward to some great activations. The snowshoes will definitely help on Osser (OE/ST-223) and the Hühnerkogel (OE/KT-148).
73 de OE6FEG
Matt
Thanks for your video report and for taking us on this tour 
