UKC

How protectable are the routes on the Mittagfluh? I am thinking of routes like:

Durststrecke (5c)

Am Ueli sis Chueli (5c)

Heidi mir wei di (5c)

What I am hoping for is something like protectable HVS 5a / E1 5b. What I don't want is scary E3 with hard moves miles from the last bolt and no chance of getting anything in myself.

I have sort of ruled out  Eldorado after reading "some airy unprotected moves on the 6a+ pitches with last gear no where nearby" about Motorhead (6a+) in the logbooks, and also "The best E3 in Europe" - I would rather find the best HVS in Europe.

Even about Am Ueli sis Chueli (5c) someone has written "Might be 5b but with 6 bolts in a 40m pitch it gets a bit cheeky".

Motorhead definitely isn't E3. It isn't HVS either mind you.

I remember some runouts on some of the slabs but I didn't think those were the crux pitches.

I’ve done Loris Boxenstopp (5c) on the mittagfluh. My notes mention some sporting bolting on the easier pitches making route finding tricky.

We walked off (interesting) and visited the impressive hydro scheme after lunch.

Motorhead is e2 really, but mostly HVS, as is Septumania.  Neither is particularly  run out.

The routes on Rotstein and Raterichsboden were fine too.

The slabs might be a bit run out from time to time, but not where you're going to get into trouble.  Hard slab moves will have a bolt, and steeper hard moves are well-protected

Okay, thanks everyone!

Exactly my memory of Marche Ou Crève (6c), so you might want to give that one a miss unless it has been rebolted!

Did Motorhead ever get re-bolted?

Tried it about 15 years ago and found it very run out on the thin slabby moves.

Might just have been that I'm rubbish at that type of climbing though.

Fin on T2 and many more; I’ve done loads there and also try the flat Irons

I did it in 2014 and there were bolts which I would have guessed were not original. I remember some runouts on at least one friction section and I think some bolts placed next to or near gear, which seemed odd.

I haven't done those Mittagfluh routes, but I have done Abadia (6b+) and Südkante (5a) on different occasions. Clearly the former is too hard but Sudkante would give you a good margin, but I don't remember the protection, I'm afraid. I'm pretty sure I didn't walk off either time. However, bear in mind that my oldish (2004) guide says that on any sunday in the summer there can be up to 20 parties on the crag, and in those circumstances walk off rather than abseiling. Personally, if I saw 20 parties, I'd go somewhere else. 

Don't rule out Eldorado - maybe do some granite padding practice on some of the other slabby crags with shorter approaches, in the valley, before deciding. I've done Septumania (6b), Motorhead (6a+) and Hirnriss (6c) and of the three, I thought Motorhead was the easiest - even after doing Septumania three times, I still found one of the slabby pitches high up quite scary, though any re bolting could have changed that. 

However, there is a big difference between Mittagflue and Eldorado. The former is steeper and more imposing when seen while driving down the valley and it's hard to believe at first that there are relatively easy routes there. Eldorado on the other hand doesn't make its presence felt in the same way as it lies well back and  and to me, seems more friendly and inviting and its surroundings are far more grandiose. Certainly you don't get pumped on Eldorado... well, at least your arms don't. Also the walk down is mellow. At Eldo you can leave your pack at the bivvy boulder near the foot and climb unencumbered, just carrying your trainers on the route.