Description

This is a great way to get the legs going.

Depending on the snow stability and weather you may be able to to get one or two runs in off the lifts before your long descent to the valley to Gruben.

This descent is quite steep at the bottom and faces SE so it may be more prudent to do this from the first lift.

From here it is a long but relatively straightforward skin to the hut. Take the funicular from St Luc, then the 3 drag lifts to the summit of the Bella Tola at 3025m.

From here ski down to the Pas de Boeuf at 2815, then slightly further down to the SE, to a flat area at about 2760m.

Skins on here for a short climb up to the Borterpass at 2834.

Now ski down gently to the S, SE, then E, passing the summer hamlets of Oberstafal and Mittelstafal.

Now head NE to pt 2082m, skirting the tree line and making sure to stay above and beyond a rock band.

Then descent more steeply in the trees, on the summer footpath, heading SE to the valley floor near to the villages of Gruben and Meiden.

From here follow either the road or the summer path on the other side of the river, due S up the valley floor.

The road finishes after a few km at 1901m.

Now cross to the W of the river and ascend, recrossing the river above a gorge, to head up to and cross, if frozen, or traverse round the Turtmansee reservoir.

Climb diagonally L up the slopes below the hut before heading back on yourself to the Turtmann Hut at 2519m.

If the lifts at St Luc are shut you can do the same day without lifts, but this is longer.

A very early start is needed to avoid very soft snow on the descent to the Turtmann valley.

In this case you take a different route.

With an early start skin up from Le Prillett at 1695m (good gite here) past the Bella Vouarda Col at 2620m.

A short descent then leads to a climb to the l'Omen Roso summit at 3030m.

From here you descend via its col slightly to its N passing just beneath a spur called the Friliwang.

Skins back on from here allows a bench to be followed to the S, taking the line of least resistance past Wangeralpu down to the valley floor, before the standard final approach to the hut.