Travel Archives - 14erskiers.com

The day before, we toured from Jamtal to Weisbadener Hutte. We had plans to potentially complete what most people call the Silvretta Tour by staying one more night at the Silvretta Hutte, just over the border in Switzerland. However, we knew that bad weather was on the way, and snow falling could make glacier travel difficult and dangerous, and we could have a challenging exit back to Galtur. So, we decided to jump the gun and skip the last night. But, that didn’t mean that we couldn’t enjoy a tour on the Ochsentaier Glacier before we departed, which beckoned us with it’s twinkly white from the Weisbadender Hutte.

Backcountry Skiing Europe Travel

April 16, 2019 Brittany Walker Konsella

Silvretta Ski Tour Part 2: Jamtal Hut to Weisbadener Hut with Gamsspitze Ski

After skiing Gamsspitze, we had to decide whether to descend the glacier a bit in order to reascend on the other side, which would allow us to go over a pass called Tiroler Scharte, the traditional way to Weisbadener Hut, which was our destination for the evening. Or we could go via another route involving 3 passes, which may or may not work. We decided for adventure.

Backcountry Skiing Europe Travel

March 24, 2019 Brittany Walker Konsella

TR: Garmisch-Partenkirchen & Marienberg Ski Tour (Feb 2019)

After flying direct from Denver to Munich, we were jet-lagged. So, rather than pushing for a little further destination, we decided to start our first tour (the day after arriving into Germany) close to Garmisch – in the mountains of Tirol just over the Austrian border. We drove to the town of Biberwier and began our tour from Marienberg Ski Area. Our plan was to circumnavigate the massif whose highest peak is Grunstein (2663 m). We took three lifts for a bump in elevation (ski touring tickets are cheap).

Backcountry Skiing Resort Skiing Travel

November 11, 2018 Guest

Where to Find the Best Off-Piste Skiing in the Alps

The thrill of skiing off-piste into the great white wilderness is what the Alps offer best. Ungroomed slopes give the exhilaration which the tailored ones do not. Documentaries often show skiers and snowboarders descending huge mountains swiftly, jumping off the edge of a cliff, and disappearing into the powdery white.

The good news is that the Alps offer something for everyone. While more advanced ski mountaineers can head for bigger lines, people with little backcountry touring experience – can also ski ungroomed slopes. So, if you plan to visit a European alpine country anytime soon, read on!

Backcountry Skiing Canada Resort Skiing Travel

April 19, 2018 Brittany Walker Konsella

TBT: Backcountry skiing in Fernie (2/23/2010)

The account below is one small piece of a series of posts documenting our road trip to Montana and interior British Columbia in February, 2010. Stops included Bridger, Whitefish, Fernie, Roger’s Pass, Kicking Horse, Revelstoke, Whitewater, and Red (Rossland). This unforgettable adventure was made possible by the generosity of strangers – now friends – who time and time again let us crash on their floors or in their guest rooms, and then guided us around some of the best terrain that they knew. We were lucky to have this in almost every place we stopped.

Backcountry Skiing Crested Butte Random Thoughts Travel

November 14, 2017 Frank Konsella

6 Things Backcountry Skiers Can Do When It Isn’t Snowing

In much of Colorado, we’re currently sitting high and dry, without much snow in the forecast. Northern Colorado is close to average, but central and southern Colorado are anywhere from 30-70% of average. Across the rest of North America, some areas are already having a year to remember, while other areas are just as dry as we are here in Crested Butte. So, what’s a backcountry skier supposed to do when there is no snow?

Travel

July 31, 2017 Brittany Walker Konsella

Totumo Mud Volcano, Colombia

Going back to our fabulous trip to Colombia this spring, Frank and I had a little stop over at the famed Totumo Mud Volcano when we drove from Cartagena to Minca. Totumo is a volcano full of mud – but whether the “volcano” is actually real or simple a manmade tourist trap is actually a subject of debate. Nonetheless, it’s growing in popularity and was even featured in an episode of the Amazing Race. And why wouldn’t you want to go romp around in a mud pit when it’s right on the way to your intended destination? So, to Totumo Volcano we went.

Travel

July 10, 2017 Frank Konsella

Minca, Colombia

And that’s when the third world happened. We stopped. And we went nowhere for a long time. And people tried to drive forward in the wrong lane, and on the shoulder, and it was general chaos. And it was hot, so we kept idling with the A/C on, watching the needle drift towards “E”.

Travel

July 2, 2017 Brittany Walker Konsella

Contrasting Cartagena

Of course, there were more water taxis coming, right?

“Oh no,” Eddy said. “There is only one more water taxi. The teacher’s taxi. It leaves in a few hours. It takes the teachers back home to Cartagena. If it is not full, you can take it. But, if it’s full, then….”

Then we’re stuck. We’re spending the night on the beach most likely. Where we would eat, who knows. To make things worse, this island worked on cash, and we hardly had any cash left. Eddy had most of it.