Description

A long and brilliant route with fabulous views throughout, this is not to be missed.

The skiing is never overly difficult but some of it is exposed and you need to be confident in your ability to ski without making a mistake. The climb up begins easily enough, following pistes and forest tracks and then enters a deep gorge.

Skin up the left side of this and follows it as it widens into a bowl. Climb up the bowl, zig zagging as the trees get thinner and thinner and you enter high mountain terrain.

Head for the southern end of the bowl and specifically for a 10 metre wide, 40 - 45 degree couloir which leads up to the West ridge of Thaneller.

In all but exceptional conditions the couloir has to be climbed on foot but crampons aren't necessary.

The views when you crest the ridge are stunning, and on a clear day you'll be able to pick out many of the Tirol's best known peaks. Skin up just to the south of Thaneller's West ridge crest on a huge and exposed slope.

An avalanche here would be disastrous so assess conditions all the way up, and pick a sensible line through the various small terrain features.

The final climb onto the summit is on the crest of the West ridge itself and is a fittingly beautiful end to a long and aesthetic ascent.

From the summit reverse the route and enjoy the various types of terrain that you'll encounter as you make your way back down to the valley.