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The White Ring - The Alps’ most legendary ski circuit

 

THE LEGEND OF THE ARLBERG

 

The White Ring, the Alps’ most legendary ski circuit, has linked nature and technology as well as the villages of Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech for over 60 years.

 

Attracting winter sports competitors, the White Ring is a half-day sporting challenge with approx. 22 km of ski runs and 5,500 metres of ascents and descents. At the same time, it’s also a sightseeing tour on easy and intermediate ski runs with viewing platforms at the Rüfikopf and Madloch (natural platform). All the best while skiing the White Ring!

 

The White Ring - A must-ski circuit for skiers on their winter holiday in Lech Zürs am Arlberg featuring six thrilling slopes around the Omeshorn mountain linking the villages of Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech.

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The legendary ski circuit

Numerous slopes and lifts combine to form the White Ring, the Arlberg’s legendary ski circuit. When will you set out on this historic adventure?

 

Depending on the season and the prevailing snow conditions, true insiders enjoy the White Ring at different times of the year: in late winter, for example, the ski runs in the Lech/Oberlech area are the first to open, while the Zürs/Zug area offers pure skiing bliss a little later in the season and for longer.

The White Ring - Tracking and prize draw

The Ski Arlberg App

 

The Ski Arlberg app is a great way to track your progress on the White Ring ski circuit. Anyone tracking their ski circuit via the app automatically takes part in a prize draw. Every week there are 2 White Ring belts designed by Luis Trenker to be won!

 

The app also provides all the information from the ski resort directly on your smartphone - free of charge at www.skiarlberg.at.

 

22
km of runs
for skiers to enjoy.
5.500
meters of ascent and descent
will be covered along the way.
6
lifts
transport guests up to the peaks and slopes along the White Ring.

The history of the White Ring

The history of Sepp Bildstein, the first lift in Austria and the Alp's most legendary ski circuit: Find out more about the history of the legends 

Starting points and highlights

You can start the ski circuit at any time and from almost every ski run in Lech or Zürs. Special columns serve to denote the 4 entry points along the White Ring ski circuit. Entry points are located at the Rüfikopfbahn (Lech), Seekopfbahn, Zürserseebahn (Zürs) and the Zugerbergbahn (Zug) cable cars.

 

Along the ski circuit, there are 2 viewing platforms marked with the White Ring symbol: the Rüfikopf viewing platform (at the mountain station Rüfikopfbahn cable car with 360° panoramic views of the surrounding mountain peaks) and the Madloch viewing platform (natural platform located along the Madloch ski run with a view of Lech). The entire ski circuit is signposted with White Ring signs.

The White Ring - Technical data

 

Name & number of lifts or ski runsLength (in m)Height difference  (in m)
1. Rüfikopf 1+ 2

2.131

890

2. Steinmännle (181)

1.634

366

3. Schüttbodenlift

590

155

4. Schüttboden-Zürs (185)

1.607

248

5. Trittalp

920

288

6. Hexenboden Direkte (125)

1.798

466

7a. Seekopf

1.548

514

7b. Zürsersee

1.587

491

8. Madloch

1.316

294

9. Madloch-Zug (170)

4.187

954

10. Zugerberg

1.460

615

11. Balmengrat

222

5

12. Kriegeralpe-Petersboden-Oberlech-Lech (200)

4.236

644

Total

21.688

5.439

The White Ring plaque

The plaque, which can be found at the Schlegelkopfbahn valley station, commemorates all winners of the White Ring race and lists the course record and team rankings. In honour of Sepp Bildstein (12.02.1891 - 14.05.1970), recognised expert for international skiing and founder of the "The White Ring” ski circuit, a team classification known as the "Bildstein Trophy" was introduced for the White Ring - The Race.

Skiing the White Ring

The White Ring - A must-ski circuit for skiers on their winter holiday in Lech Zürs am Arlberg featuring six slopes around the Omeshorn mountain linking Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech.

 

Connecting all waypoints, the route is as follows:

  • Take the gondola up the Rüfikopf mountain where the ski circuit starts at 2362 m.
  • Below the Rüfispitze mountain, take the Schüttboden surface lift up to the top of the mountain. In no time, you’ll descend towards the Trittalp lift.
  • Featuring a magnificent view of Zürs, the route leads over 500 m down into the valley then over the ski bridge to the opposite side of the valley.
  • While sitting in the Seekopf or Zürsersee 4-seater chairlifts, you’ll have already left the Trittkopf mountain behind and you’ll catch a first glimpse of the Omeshorn mountain as it comes into view.
  • Halfway around the Zürsersee lake, a lift will whisk you up the Madloch-Joch ridge.
  • As you admire the challenging backcountry ski run at the Madloch-Joch, you might wonder how in the world the ski pioneers of Arlberg ever learned to ski with ungroomed, steep slopes and powder snow as far as the eye can see.
  • After skiing the Madloch route, you will have arrived in the next valley depression. The small village of Zug is the starting point for the final ascent of the White Ring. The Zug gondolas will transport you to the Balmengrat ridge, where the final section of the White Ring begins.
  • This, the longest slope of the White Ring, leads 4,236 m down into the valley below. From the Kriegeralpe Alpine hut, you’ll arrive back in Lech via Petersboden and Oberlech, exhausted and most certainly full of pride.

 

Kästle Mountain Museum

The Kästle Mountain Museum in Lech is located at the starting point of the legendary White Ring circuit on the Rüfikopf mountain inside the Rüfikopf II mountain station. The opening hours of the museum correspond to the operating times of the cable cars.