Fünffingerspitzen Traverse

This is a gorgeous climb! Airy & excitingly exposed with panoramic views. This climb is VERY popular so catching the first tram is advised. Be prepared to have people on your heels and lined up behind you, but it's worth dealing with the crowds. The climb has solid rock with lots of holds. Once you climb to the notch it follows the arête (north ridge) to the top of the thumb. There are well used slings at the top of the thumb (it could stand to have a gift of better slings with rings in multiple places). You make 3 rappels to the notch between thumb & index finger. The 2 & 3 rappels are from cemented rings. Teams can join in at this point from the Normal Route, so don't be surprised if you go from being second in line to the fourth. Climb out of the notch onto the index finger, with three pitches up and left, with the third almost horizontal along ledges. At the northeast corner of the Index Finger, traverse left on the east face across easy slabs to the notch with the Middle Finger. Climb up to and under the chockstone. Curl slightly to the left (east) to the top of the Middle Finger. The full traverse continues across the top of the Middle Finger, rappel down to the Ring Finger, then traverse on the west side. All locals & guides stop at the top of the Middle Finger since its basically loose, dirty rock that is scrambled or rappeled from here. Out of about 20 people we were the only ones attempting to continue the traverse. Since it looked very dirty & loose, and the last gondola ride down was at 5pm, we decided to follow the crowd and rap back to the base of the Middle/Index Finger notch. From here you take a traversing rappel back to the NE corner of the Index Finger. Reverse the traversing pitch and then rappel down to notch of Index & Thumb. From here you go down the Normal Route, down climbing a traversing pitch, east & north, to good anchors above a slab. Watch the ends of your ropes if using a 60 m rope, several of the raps are stretchers! The final portion of the descent rappels to the start of the Normal Route, with three more rappels back to the top of the gondola.

Take the Sassolungo gondola up to the Demetz Hut, about 1 hr by foot. From the top of the gondola follow the path up scree on left. Straight up from gondola is the start of the Normal Route which goes around the east face of the Thumb to notch between Thumb & Index finger. The start of the Thumb is right/west of the Normal Route, about 200' across the scree to a low angle slab that takes you to a third class ramp leading to the prominent notch at the base of the north ridgeline. If there is a long line to do the Thumb you can climb the Normal Route which will bypass the Thumb.

Many cemented pitons are in place throughout the route & at the anchors. An alpine rack with medium nuts & cams. One 60 m rope will do but be careful as many of the rappels take the full length.