UKC

As the weather is looking so dire for next week our UK trad roadtrip is looking less and less appealing. Secondly, my climbing partner has a bad finger injury and probs cant climb harder than F6b ish/Trad E3.

So.......recommendations for Swiss/Austrian, high, multi pitch trad/sport climbing in beautiful locations required. With an eye to grades mentioned.

Much appreciated

R

In reply to richard kirby: Berchtesgaden Alps (Steineres Meer, Hochkonig etc) on Austrain/German border near Salzburg have some great big limestone routes, bolted, in a high mountain setting. Very pretty too.

In reply to richard kirby:

Salbit might be a good place although perhaps a little early in the season. Also plenty of other stuff in the Gotthard area of Switzerland.

In reply to richard kirby:

Hi Rich

I would also recommend Salbit (good bolted/trad multipitch granite routes)in central switzerland.

Limestone in the Bernese Oberland - Uechenen and Sanetch are good at around that grade - bolted multipitch limestone.

Have heard some good things about Ratikon although not climbed there myself

Cheers Si (aka laughing boy!!)

In reply to richard kirby:

I would very much recommend Gastlosen. Absolutely stunning scenery and only 10 minutes from the car. Single pitch, multi pitch, south facing limestone (very rough texture and a pure pleasure to climb on).

In particular I would recommend Nikita, which is a fully bolted (not run out) 16 pitch extravaganza, and it's quite frankly amazing that this crag isn't better known and frequented by us Brits.

Nikita goes free at 7b but I think is only 6c obligatory. It's also possible to just climb it for the first 9 pitches to the half way ledge. As far as I remember this was up to 6c or 6c+ (but very reasonable at that grade). We did the latter because Bonner bottled it. I was up for the full thing (honest).

In reply to richard kirby:

I don't recommend Ratikon for those with poorly fingers!

What about Granite in Italy. Crack climbing for sore digits - head to Gran Paradiso National Park?

Orco is supposed to be great:
http://www.planetmountain.com/english/Special/people/itaca/index.html

I can recommend Becco di Valsoera. Big-feel granite crag in an alpine setting:
http://www.alpiguide.com/orco17_grd.jpg

Stay at the Rifugio Pontese for this. Short walk in:
http://web.tiscali.it/rifugio.pontese/

Fly to Turin?

In reply to richard kirby:
Hi Rich,

Have plenty of swiss guides (Plaisir & Extrem) I can lend you plus one for the Wetterstein in Austria. Would need to get them back on your return so we can plan for our summer hols

Neil

In reply to Hugh Cottam:
Out of interest, did you climb on the North side of Gastlosen? Am planning to go to Switzerland in Aug so was thinking of going there as it was shady.

In reply to Neil Binns:

I assume he did. We once accidentally climbed on the wrong side. Loose, slabby and crap.

In reply to Neil Binns:

We climbed only on the South facing sections, which were all very good. I don't know anything about the ones Tom's just mentioned.

In reply to Tom, UKC News Editor:
Hopefully not the bits I was planning to visit! Although my German is somewhat non-existent the Extrem guide seems to rate it as one of the best (sport climbing) sites in the Oberland and the photos looked coniserably steeper than slabby

In reply to Neil Binns:

Yes, it's the North side you want I would have thought. Looked good (and steep) as we peered down on it realising we'd been sweated up the wrong (south) side. Don't know what route Hugh did, but we climbed in 2 pairs on the south side and both routes were very average.

In reply to Hugh Cottam:

I wouldn't have thought anything other than Bonner wimping out. You don't acquire the nickname "nails" for anything other than yarding it out on "sport routes"!!

Sounds great.How many 7b pitches Hugh....and whats the altitude.

In reply to Tom, UKC News Editor:

I said "south facing", not south side. Presumably the crag we climbed on is the North crag. I wasn't even aware of a South crag.

Come on now Neil and Tom, Concentrate!

In reply to richard kirby:


You can see the rock quality in this pic:

http://www.gastlosen.ch/index.php?option=com_datsogallery&Itemid=65&...

Starting altitude is 1500m. Abseil back down the route.

Pitches are as follows:

L1 - 6b - 25m

L2 - 6b - 25m

L3 - 6b - 20m

L4 - 6b - 25m

L5 - 6c - 25m

L6 - 6b+ - 30m

L7 - 6a+ - 30m

L8 - 6c+ - 25m

L9 - II - 20m

L10 - 7a - 30m

L11 - 6b+ - 25m

L12 - 7b (6c+ - 3pa) - 30m

L13 - 6b+ - 20m

L14 - 6b+ - 30 m

L15 - 6a - 25m

L16 - 6c - 25m

In reply to richard kirby:

Hi Richard
Was over in Switzerland a little later in the year than you're planning - late July/early Aug 2004. Salbitchijen area is beautiful, hut convenient and friendly and the granite impeccable...... but you are relatively high up in the mountains. We experienced bad weather at Grimsel but escaped to the slabs at Mello which would be highly recommended if you havn't yet visited the area - Kundalini/Luna Nascente rating as possibly the best granite day you could experience outside the states.Loads of possibilites in this area as the responses highlight -have a good trip.