Weißseespitze

Seven weeks of ski mountaineering: waking up, suffering through putting on your frozen boots and packing up the iced-over tent. Seven weeks of taking the weather as it comes – spending entire days in complete whiteout, being blown over by 120 km/h gusts of wind, and waiting out storms in alpine huts or (more often) on people's couches in the valley. But also seven weeks of being amazed by the ever-changing scenery, of being stunned by the beauty of snow-covered mountains every single day. A trip shaped by incredible encounters and people’s hospitality, depending on the kindness of strangers and meeting inspiring individuals. Seven weeks of raw adventure - this is "Crossing the Alps", the story of Hugo and Linus traversing Switzerland on skis.

In search of new perspectives on the snow of tomorrow, PowderGuide author Lisa spoke to Klemens Weisleitner. He is an ecologist at the University of Innsbruck and studies glaciers all over the world. He talks to Lisa about the special features of the glacier ecosystem and why microplastics are not only found in washing machines, but also under the covers of glacier ice.

Wildspitze and Weißseespitze can now be climbed as short day tours from the nearby glacier ski areas. In 2017, these peaks can be reached by an ascent of significantly less than 1000 vertical meters, as you can read here in the PowderGuide freeride tours Weißseespitze and Wildspitze. 100 years ago, the highest peak in Tyrol and its western neighbor were still extensive "snowshoe hikes", which Franz Tursky reports on in the 6th part of the Anno dazumal series.

Visible from afar, the Weißseespitze rises above the Kaunertal glacier ski area. The north face is often climbed in early summer and is also extremely popular with ice climbers.