Trip Report: Ski Mountaineering in Andermatt

My plans for some winter alpine climbing fell through due to work and partners bailing. So last minute I joined a trip to Andermatt, Switzerland for some ski mountaineering.

Alpine climbing requires a wide set of skills. However, as climbers it is easy to get sucked into doing what you are comfortable with and enjoy, to the detriment of other skills. If you don't like run-out climbing, or slabs, or cracks, or chimneys, you will avoid them, never improve, your ego is spanked if you ever get on them and this cycle is reinforced. On an alpine climb, you can't really avoid something if you don't like it, so it is really important to work on your weaknesses rather than your strengths, requiring you to leave the ego at home and drop the grades sometimes.

Rik seconding a classic jamming pitch on Hollendaren, Kvaloya.

So I've tried to identify my weaknesses over the years to make me a more well rounded climber. For example, I have struggled on small jamming cracks, so I spent the summer seeking out as many as I could find in Scotland, before a 10 day trip to the Arctic Island of Kvaloya, Norway. There we had pitch after pitch of fantastic granite cracks to climb (pics). 
Another glearing weakness in my alpine climbing skillset is ski mountaineering. This is utilising skis as the most efficient way to travel around snowy mountains, rather than zooming up lifts and down pistes. So this is something I've been working on the last couple of years.

Skinning up Oberalpstock, Switzerland.

So although I didn't get out climbing ice, I had long days in the hills, skinning up 3000m peaks (great for fitness) as well as improving my skills in getting about on skis without too much faceplanting. More pics.

Scoping out the best descent while skinning up Peak Central, Andermatt