Cotton-grass

View to Hohe Ifen from near Ifersguntenalpe

Cotton-grass

View to Hohe Ifen from near Ifersguntenalpe

Hohe Ifen from Ifersguntenalpe

The path descending from Hohe Ifen to Schwarzwassertal - one of the cable supported sections.

Flower meadow by Hohe Ifen

Dandelions and Red campion are well known. The white flowers are either Ranunculus aconitifolius or Ranunculus platanifolius - they are hard to tell apart.

Flower meadow by Hohe Ifen

Dandelions and Red campion are well known. The white flowers are either Ranunculus aconitifolius or Ranunculus platanifolius - they are hard to tell apart.

Finally, the last peak before Grosser Daumen at the Hindelanger ferrata.

Ascending one of the last no-name peaks of Hindelanger Klettersteig.

A somewhat tricky down-climb near the end of Hindelanger Klettersteig.

One of the last descents on the Hindelanger Klettersteig before the saddle to Grosser Daumen... or so we think.

We have passed Zwiebelstränge on Hindelanger Klettersteig, but there is still a long way ahead to the green, wide sumit of Grosse Daumen.

Most of the path between Widdersteinhütte and the pass down to Bärgunttal is a narrow and rocky traversing trail along the steep flank of Grosser Widderstein. What a relief, with a few meters of very easy terrain!

Most of the path between Widdersteinhütte and the pass down to Bärgunttal is a narrow and rocky traversing trail along the steep flank of Grosser Widderstein. What a relief, with a few meters of very easy terrain!

Mid-way up the Hochkrumbach pass we realize our mistake. It adds some 150 meter altitude of bikes over head and a considerable distance of traversing below the foot of Grosser Widderstein.

Biking at Schrofenpass. The difficulty varies, but is most often around S2-S3.

Alex of team Jochen, near the end of the beautiful aid traverse, pitch 8 of Diehlkante on Dent de Ruth.

Endless powder snow in remote wilderness

The ridge to Kessispitze is very steep

Marshmallow snow

Arrived at Tübinger Hütte where avalanche fields cover most steep mountain flanks. Hinterberg is on the right.

We made it! The last few meters of ascent to Steinmandl, last summit of the tour.

One may choose to scramble every rock fon the way to Steinmandl or fun, but most of them (though not all) can actually be skipped.

Looking back toward an eye-catching tower, which we thankfully can pass without climbing. That will have to wait for a roped climb!

Today is the first time we have approached this ridge in such exceptional conditions. In late autumn, the ridge isn't particularly overrun in spite of the lift to Kanzelwand operating nearby. The first section to Walser Hammerspitze (right) is not as difficult as the rest (a little hands-on) and is surely an interesting hike on its own, possibly with descent to Kuhgehrenspitze.