Aples-Pleisspitze (2648 m) – A Classic Spring Ski Tour

It involves around 1,200 metres of ascent plus the obligatory long Lechtal valley walk-in. The tour starts in Kaisers at an altitude of 1,500 metres.

First you follow a forest road into the Kaisertal valley as far as the Kaiseralpe. This first section is pleasant and makes the perfect warm-up for the rest of the tour. From the Kaiseralpe you continue up the valley, which bends to the east here. Above the tree line, at around 1,800 metres, the terrain opens up into wonderful skiing ground. At the head of the valley the route climbs left up the south-facing slopes towards the Kälberlanzug – the cirque between the Aples-Pleisspitze and the Feuerspitze.

If you keep slightly right and carry straight on instead, you reach the Vorderseespitze, one of the most striking peaks in the Lechtal Alps, via the Stierlanzugjoch.

After the first steeper slope you reach flatter ground with two distinctive boulders. From here you climb a broad, open south-facing slope that narrows higher up into two couloirs. The right-hand couloir is steeper and narrower, so it’s best to go up the left one.

At the top of the couloir you reach a ridge, which you follow on its west side to the summit. There is often little or no snow on this section. Eventually you reach the top of the right-hand couloir. Depending on conditions, you leave your skis here and continue on foot towards the summit. Just before the highest point you have to downclimb a short, easy chimney on the ridge, which is between five and ten metres long depending on the snow.

The summit offers an impressive view of the surrounding ranges: the Arlberg, the Lechquellen Mountains, the Allgäu Alps and well-known peaks further south such as the Hoher Riffler and the Patriol. Prominent Lechtal summits like the Vorderseespitze and the Holzgauer Wetterspitze are also clearly visible.

Back at the ski depot you can choose which of the two couloirs to ski down.

From there, the descent follows the line of ascent. With good planning and timing, you can enjoy beautiful corn snow all the way down – often almost as far as the Kaiseralpe.

After the long descent back to Kaisers, a cold wheat beer and a great schnitzel await at the Edelweisshaus ;).

Thanks to the very warm temperatures, a long spell of fine weather and the low snow cover, we were able to do the tour this year as early as the beginning of March in perfect spring conditions.