Читать книгу Alpine Ski Mountaineering Vol 2 - Central and Eastern Alps. Ski tours in Austria, Switzerland and Italy онлайн

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The mountains beyond Mont Blanc and the Pennine Alps trending eastwards tend, with the exception of Bernina, to be regarded by many climbers as less serious and more benign, with lesser climbs and smaller glaciers. It is true that to the east of the Urner Alps and the Rhöne/Rhine watershed there is only a single outlying 4000m peak, Piz Bernina. It is true that there are no glaciers that compare in length with the Grosser Aletsch or Mont Blanc's ice streams, but it would be wrong to underestimate these areas when it comes to skiing. In many respects, what they lack in size and fame (compared to, say, Mont Blanc and other regions of the Western Alps), they make up for in terms of their suitability for ski mountaineering. In this matter, they are equal in every respect to the Western Alps.

All the tours described in this guide are in areas that bristle with 3000m peaks, glaciers and extensive permanent snowfields. In fact, these are the very things they all have in common. The Central and Eastern Alps also have an enviable snow record, and in many instances can offer ski touring when other areas are waiting for better snow cover to fill crevasses and make travel on dangerous glaciers possible. This is especially true of the Western Bernese region along with the Urner and Albula Alps.