UKC

I'm just wondering if the Kuffner Ridge is a realistic objective for a bunch of relative Alpine novices? I'm heading over in the summer with a couple friends and this is a route I've had my eye on but don't want to bite of more than we can chew. I've done two trips to the Alps, one guided, one with a friend and have done some of the usual classics, Cosmiques Arete, Pointe Lachenal and Domes de Miage traverse etc. One friend came with me on the last trip but the other has never been. We are all leading VS fairly comfortably and two of us have some winter experience under our belts.

I was planning on heading up to the Albert Primer/Trient to tick off some easier routes around there to acclimatise and see how we get on but also fancied stepping it up a bit if the conditions are right. If it isn't realistic, are there any routes that are a step up from those we've done that might be worth looking at as alternatives? Something like the Forbes Arete or Traverse of the Aiguille d'Entrèves maybe?

Midi-Plan and Rochfort Arete are 2 classics at AD that might be a good step from what you've done towards a Difficile like the Kuffner?? Plus they are classic routes in their own rights, really memorable.

The Rochefort Arete was another option I was considering adding to the list actually. I was thinking of combining it with the Aiguille d'Entreves traverse.. First Midi lift up, walk across the glacier and do the traverse and down to the Torino hut for the night. Then Rochefort Arete the next day, descend back down to Italy and get the bus back in the afternoon.

The Kuffner is fine if you are acclimatised. I would certainly consider it if the conditions were good and you'd done a few warm up routes and something like the Rochefort Arete (perhaps with an excursion up the Dent de Geant). You do need to be careful about routefinding - if you go wrong I'm told you can find yourself on quite tricky rock (E2 standard).  The member of your party who hasn't been to the Alps before -  has (s)he considered a course to learn techniques such as crevasse rescue, taking coils and moving together? That would make things safer. 

If you were ready for the Kuffner you'd be going up to the Albert Premier to do the Forbes Arete. 

I'd say you want to be confident on long AD routes and within guidebook times before you step it up to D/+.

Consider too that the approach slopes to the hut can be in poor condition. The climb might go ok but it’s a long way back to the midi in the heat. 

Cheers for the replies, pretty much confirmed what I was already thinking.. It can wait for another year when hopefully we'll be slicker and more efficient with a few more routes under our belts.