To the southeast, below the Grawawand is the Grawawandferner glacier, to the south the Ruderhofferner, to the west the expansive Alpeiner Ferner and to the north the Hochmoosferner runs right up to just under the summit cross on the Ruderhofspitze.

The route used by the first climbers to ascend the Ruderhofspitez in 1864 led from the Oberissalm in the Oberbergtal valley to the Alpeiner Ferner.

[2] The present normal route, the easiest ascent, runs in a great arc over the Alpeiner Ferner as a high mountain tour to the Ruderhofspitze and should only be undertake with the right equipment and knowledge.

From here there are two options to get to the firn field on the south side below the summit: one leads across the steep WSW flank on fixed ropes (negotiating the bergschrund with a risk of rockfalls) or the somewhat longer, but easier route along the long SSW arête from the upper Hölltalscharte notch.

The route runs across the firn field on the south side to the rocky summit block and finally up an easy climb to the highest point.