181 Steinmännle · From the Rüfikopf
The first descent of the circuit is marked red on the official piste map. The route table lists 1,634 m with 366 m difference in altitude before the Schüttbodenlift.
Ski route in the Arlberg / Ski Arlberg
Der Weiße Ring
The Lech Zürs classic via Rüfikopf, Zürs, Madloch and Zug.
Ski the White Ring around Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech: about 22 km and 5,500 vertical metres on blue and red pistes, with six cable cars and lifts.
For skiers who are comfortable on red pistes and want a half-day classic around Lech Zürs.
- km route incl. lifts · official circuit
- 22
- lifts · official circuit
- 6
- Pistes & level
- Blue and red pistes, one ski route
01 / Get to know the route
The Lech Zürs classic via Rüfikopf, Zürs, Madloch and Zug.
Der Weiße Ring links Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech in one ski circuit. Ski Arlberg describes it as a half-day challenge of about 22 kilometres and 5,500 vertical metres on easy to intermediate ski runs, with six cable cars and lifts. The runs are signposted with Der Weisse Ring symbols.
The official route table starts with the Rüfikopfbahn in Lech and continues via the Steinmännle run to Zürs. From Zürs, the Seekopf or Zürsersee lift and the Madloch lift lead to the long Madloch-Zug ski route. The Zugerbergbahn and the Balmengrat lift then bring you to the final descent via Kriegeralpe, Petersboden and Oberlech back to Lech.
Official circuit information
Screenshots show the routes in Ski In Ski Route.
02 / Route stages
Follow the ski circuit
From one mountain sector to the next: follow the pistes and lifts of the official ski circuit.
From the Rüfikopf to Zürs
Take the Rüfikopfbahn up from Lech, a section of 2,131 m with 890 m difference in altitude. Ski the Steinmännle (181), ride the Schüttbodenlift and continue on Schüttboden-Zürs (185) towards Zürs.
- Pistes
- 181 · 185
- Lifts
- Rüfikopfbahn · Schüttbodenlift
Trittalp and Hexenboden
The Trittalp lift takes you up for Hexenboden Direct (125), 1,798 m long with 466 m difference in altitude. Back in Zürs, the official table lists both the Seekopf and the Zürsersee lift for the next ascent.
- Pistes
- 125
- Lifts
- Trittalp · Seekopfbahn · Zürserseebahn
From the Madloch to Zug
Ride the Madloch lift and take the Madloch-Zug ski route (170). With 4,187 m and 954 m difference in altitude, it is one of the two longest sections of the circuit and takes you down to Zug.
- Pistes
- 170
- Lifts
- Madloch
From Zug back to Lech
The Zugerbergbahn and the short Balmengrat lift bring you to the last descent: Kriegeralpe-Petersboden-Oberlech-Lech (200), 4,236 m with 644 m difference in altitude, back to Lech.
- Pistes
- 200
- Lifts
- Zugerbergbahn · Balmengrat
03 / Pistes
Pistes along the route
125 Hexenboden Direct · Down to Zürs
Another red run on the official map, from the Trittalp area down to Zürs. After Schüttboden-Zürs (185), a blue run, this is the second descent into the village.
170 Madloch-Zug · The long ski route
The official map shows Madloch-Zug as a ski route of medium difficulty. It covers almost a thousand metres of altitude on the way down to Zug.
200 Kriegeralpe-Petersboden-Oberlech-Lech · The finish
The final descent is blue on the official map. It is the longest section in the route table and passes Oberlech on its way back to Lech.
Numbered pistes on the official circuit
- 181
- 185
- 125
- 170
- 200
04 / Lifts
Lifts and connections
- Rüfikopfbahn & Schüttbodenlift
- The Rüfikopfbahn is the official starting point in Lech. Ski Arlberg mentions a viewing platform at the Rüfikopf, at the top of the first ascent.
- Trittalp, Seekopfbahn or Zürserseebahn & Madloch
- These lifts take you through Zürs. The Seekopfbahn and Zürserseebahn are both official starting points of the circuit, and the Madloch nature platform is one of its photo points.
- Zugerbergbahn & Balmengrat
- From Zug, the Zugerbergbahn and the short Balmengrat lift bring you to the descent back to Lech. The Zugerbergbahn is the official starting point in Zug.
Lifts on the official circuit
- Rüfikopfbahn
- Schüttbodenlift
- Trittalp
- Seekopfbahn
- Zürserseebahn
- Madloch
- Zugerbergbahn
- Balmengrat
05 / Tips
Plan your ski day
Choose your starting point
You do not have to start in Lech. Ski Arlberg names three starting points: the Rüfikopfbahn in Lech, the Seekopfbahn and Zürserseebahn in Zürs, and the Zugerbergbahn in Zug.
Check the race date
The circuit is also the course of Der Weisse Ring – The Race. The next race is on 16 January 2027; check the official race information if you plan to ski the circuit around that day.
Stop at the viewpoints
Plan a short stop at the Rüfikopf viewing platform at the start and at the Madloch nature platform, both mentioned by Ski Arlberg.
06 / Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
How long is Der Weiße Ring?
Ski Arlberg describes the circuit as about 22 kilometres and 5,500 vertical metres with six cable cars and lifts. It calls the circuit a half-day challenge.
Where can I start the White Ring?
The official starting points are the Rüfikopfbahn in Lech, the Seekopfbahn and Zürserseebahn in Zürs, and the Zugerbergbahn in Zug.
How difficult is Der Weiße Ring?
Ski Arlberg describes easy to intermediate ski runs. On the official map, Steinmännle and Hexenboden Direct are red, and Madloch-Zug is a ski route of medium difficulty.