Wilder Kaiser, Band 1 and Band 2

Topo-based guides to climbs in the Wilder Kaiser. Minimal text in German describes approach, how many bolts and pegs a climb has, and descent. Seriousness rating given on a scale of E1 - E6. This has nothing to do with British E-grades, and is better compared with the P-rating in the Yorkshire gritstone guide. Climbs in the lower grades are described in Band 1 and those in the upper grades in Band 2. As with all Panico guides in this series the topos are also reproduced on pocket-sized pull-out cards. Topos are clear and accurate.

Author: Markus Stadler
Publisher: Panico (2004)
ISBN: 978-3-936740-06-6 and 978-3-936740-13-4

Best of Genuss, Band 1

Selected climbs guide covering the Salzburger and Berchtesgadener Alps. The guide covers climbs in the range from IV to VII, although the emphasis is more on climbs at the upper end of this range. Furthermore the guide concentrates on the many new bolted climbs which have been established in this area in the last two decades. For example, the Hinterstoisser/Kurz and the Barth Chimney, two well-known classics on the Berchtesgadener Hochthron from the start of the 20th century, are ignored in favour of newer but less well-known climbs. On the other hand, the guide contains many routes currently (2010) not described anywhere else. The authors are prolific new-routers in this region and include many of their own climbs.

The guidebook has many colour photographs for inspiration as well as colour crag photos with the lines of the routes. Each climb recieves a well-drawn topo as well as notes on approach and descent in German. Some climbs also receive a pitch by pitch description.

Of greatest interest to visiting climbers is likely to be the Hochkönig massif. A great number of the climbs in this massif are equipped with the controversial home-made Sigi-bolts. These have been linked to at least one fatal accident and subsequently shown in tests by the German Alpine Club (DAV) to show a large spread in failure loads. The authors have consequently decided not to describe any of the routes protected by Sigi-bolts, but still manage to include a large selection of other routes in the Hochkönig.(The DAV has also issue a warning concerning the use of these bolts.)

Authors: Rudolf Kühberger, Gerald Forchthammer
Published: Panico (2008)
ISBN: 978-3-936740-37-0

Wilder Kaiser, 24th August 2009

Anthony Woodrow had time for a quick trip down to Munich and then the Wilder Kaiser between flights to and from Frankfurt, and the Via Classica on the Fleischbank seemed like a good opportunity to get up something long-ish with hopefully minimal potential for surprises. It is a sport route of 15 pitches (including two walks over grassy ledges), bolted in 2002. Due to its bolt protection, its good rock, its easy climbing and its position directly opposite the balcony of the Stripsenjochhaus it has quickly become very popular, and even on a Monday we were not the only party on the route.

Anthony Woodrow on the Via Classica on the Fleischbank

The climbing got better the higher we went, the highlight being the 50m V+ pitch near the top, which was sustained at the lower end of VS for almost all of its length. The bolt spacing was such that I didn't place any of my own gear apart from on the last two pitches, and route finding was not a problem either. Without being in a hurry we got up in five and a quarter hours.

Anthony Woodrow finishing the last pitch of the Via Classica

Getting down was more of an event. We had to continue over the summit of the Fleischbank, which involved a couple of bad steps for which we roped up again, before descending to the Christascharte and ab-ing into the Steinerne Rinne. We had taken enough water for the climb only, and by the time we got back to the hut in the perfect August weather our mouths were dry and we were dreaming of Apfelsaftschorle.

Anthony Woodrow climbing onto the summit of the Fleischbank

Wilder Kaiser, 25th / 26th July 2009

The weather forecast delivered on its promise of showers for the northern side of the eastern Alps, and so Ingo Peter, Felix Lütkenherm and I spent much of the Saturday morning sitting in the Stripsenjochhaus eating Apfelstrudel, drinking coffee, and looking out of the window wondering when the rock would dry. Ingo thankfully had topos for some shorter routes not too far from the hut, and was motivated enough to get us out of the door again shortly before lunchtime, but even then we sheltered from another two showers and saw two other parties turn back before we got as far as the start of the Schneiderweg (V+, 5 pitches) on the Totenkirchl.Evening sun on the Fleischbank after a rainy day

The first pitch goes up an unproblematic grade IV corner before traversing right to a stance which, unusually for Austria, had no bolts and just one inconveniently placed rusty old peg. From here a short pitch leads up to a cramped stance jammed between a rock spike and the overhanging wall above. After this is where the fun starts. A rough crack leads diagonally upwards and leftwards around the overhang. Beneath the crack is a compact wall with smears for the feet, while above the crack the overhang pushes out. It is possible to get the right leg into the crack, and hope that the left foot sticks to the sloping toe holds beneath. This was my favourite pitch of the route, and would be worth going back for.

Felix Lütkenherm at the end of pitch 3 on the Schneiderweg on the Totenkirchl

The fourth pitch is a foot traverse with small and sometimes low handholds rightwards out over the overhang turned by the previous pitch. Rain had already been threatening as we finished the second pitch, and now as I came to the end of the rightwards traverse it arrived. The last few meters to the belay were not as difficult, and thankfully the shower was almost over again by the time Felix and Ingo joined me.The Stripsenjoch seen from the Totenkirchl

The last pitch was an unpleasant Wilder Kaiser chimney. This was not my first experience of these, and they are somehow unlike anything I have ever climbed in England or Wales. In its depths it was wet, polished, and not easy to protect, although there were some bolts and pegs in place. After first traversing left, then penduluming right, and first pulling then standing on a peg
before traversing left again, I had the most awful rope drag and for the last few meters could only stand up at all on both legs simultaneously. The pitch was graded V+, which is usually about VS, but this was more like VS for HVS climbers.

Crux pitch of the Christakante

On the Sunday we did the Christakante (V/A0, 10 pitches) on the Christaturm, next to the Ellmauer Tor at the top of the Steinerne Rinne. The weather turned out warm and sunny, the climbing was easy and pleasant, and we got to the top without event. The pitches varied between Diff and the lower end of VS, with three steep and very slippery meters of climbing being overcome by pulling on the bolts.

Ingo Peter and Felix Lütkenherm on the Christakante

On the summit of the Christaturm

Schüsselkarspitze, 11th / 12th July 2009

After several weekends in a row of really wet weather I was all too ready to read a little more into a slightly more optimistic weather forecast for the north side of the eastern Alps than turned out to be justified.

The Hohe Munde seen from the Schüsselkarspitze

Ingo Peter and I stayed in the Wangalm, on the south side of the Wetterstein, but after a cold rainy night we were not in a hurry to get started. By half past ten we were standing at the bottom of the Locker vom Hocker slab on the Schüsselkarspitze wondering at first where the Meßner / Sint route could go, and then, once we had excluded all other possibilities, whether the guidebook grade of VI+ could really be right. It was cold and misty, and after an hour and a half of sitting there shivering we gave up waiting for the weather to get better and went off to do the Leberle on the Scharnitzspitze.

The first three pitches of this were straightforward, but the fourth turned out to be good value for IV. As it was it started to rain and then to hail as Ingo seconded this pitch, and soon the rock was soaking wet. After a while the rain stopped and our friends Mario Senke and Felix Lütkenherm appeared below. However, after an hour of standing shivering at the belay the rock was showing no signs of getting any dryer, so we abbed and that was that.

Ingo Peter on the 4th pitch of the Leberle on the Scharnitzspitze

Sunday went even worse. Ingo and I didn't get anything done at all, although Mario and Felix got up the Leberle on the Scharnitzspitze. We bumped into Arnaud Richel and climbing partner who wanted to do a route called Steiler Zahn just to the right of the Meßner / Sint, although they didn't end up getting up that either.

Via del Missile (VI+), Monte Casale, Sarca Valley, 18th August 2007

Once again a super climb in the Sarca Valley, probably the most exciting climb of the year.

Egon Kirschner had the bright idea of not setting off too early, so as not to spend too long climbing in the sun. We didn't spend very long climbing in the sun, but we did come quite close to being able to enjoy a night on a ledge near the top of the route.
The first couple of pitches were relatively easy. The third got a bit more exciting, however. Here it was necessary to climb up a corner from the belay and then somehow traverse left across a horizontal crack. This was a lot harder than it looked, and it soon became clear why the guidebook says A0 for this pitch. Egon led the traverse swinging from peg to peg, and then had to lower himself perhaps fifteen feet from a long piece of tat hanging from the last peg. While hanging at the end of the tat it was then possible to pendulum leftwards and reach more pegs, then using these to climb back up again to the continuation of the horizontal crack, in which four not entirely confidence-inspiring pegs made up the hanging belay. It didn't look much fun to lead, and wasn't much fun to second either. I was much happier once I had clipped the next two pegs of the next pitch.

For a while the climbing was easier, and then came a long steep corner crack, graded at VI+ in the guidebook. This should have been a lovely E1 pitch, but after my summer of activity I was not up to sustained E1 climbing without rests. Soon I clipped into a peg, and I ended up aiding the entire pitch with a combination of pegs and the thankfully plentiful nut placements.
After this came a deep wide crack with few holds. Egon led this not without cursing and struggle. He soon took his rucksack off and left this on a ledge for me to carry while seconding. Protection was almost non-existant, but a fall would have seen him not so much fall from the wall, but rather further into the crack and probably get stuck. Thankfully it did not come to this.

Presently we came to a large vegetated ledge on which the guidebook indicated we should traverse a long way to the right. By this time it was clear that we did not have very much daylight left. Unfortunately it was not clear which of the not very inviting exits from the ledge it was necessary to take, and I ended up traversing rather too far. By the time we had traversed back again we had even less light left.

Egon then led up a loose and unpleasant wide corner, from the top of which our goal was in sight. Just one more pitch separated us from the summit plateau. Unfortunately this turned out to be one of the hardest of the route, a wide hold-less crack a bit reminiscent of the top of Wall Buttress at Stanage only longer and with rather less friction.Had this been a one pitch climb on a crag I would not have put myself through it. However, given that Egon had led the unpleasant aid pitch and the first unpleasant crack, I could not very well shirk this lead. I had been saving my last few drops of water for the summit, but my mouth was dry and I couldn't hold out any longer, so I emptied the water bottle before setting off. I too found myself taking off my rucksack and leaving it clipped to a runner before things got really difficult. Somehow through a combination of squeezing, writhing, panting and pausing apparently without holds but somehow wedged into the crack to get my breath back I got to the top. Egon then had the no more agreeable job of getting his way up there carrying both rucksacks, which he managed with help from the rope. It was now nine o'clock.

In the wood on top it was pitch dark. In an act of generosity Egon cut his apple in two with his nut key and gave me half. We then still had the business of getting down before us, for which we had no map and only vague instructions, which proved to be next to no use whatsoever. It took us a total of three hours staggering around in the dark before we eventually found our way down to the road, still miles from the car. Thankfully Andrea managed to persuade Renate to come and pick us up, otherwise it would probably have been another two hours before we got back to our car.

Somewhere in the Transvaal, 3rd October 2002

Wednesday 2nd October, a nature reserve somewhere in the Transvaal:

Up at six for a drive through the nearest part of the reserve. We don't see a lot, just a few buck and a few piles of rhinoceros droppings. Later go for a walk up the kopje (hill) behind the house and picnic on the top.

Back at the house we pack up the bakkie (pick-up), and set off for a remote part of the reserve. On the way there we see kudu in the bush beside the road, a herd of giraffe in the trees, then on the lake shore half a mile away rhinoceros and a huge herd of wildebeest. Further along we find zebra.

I take the wheel. The track is now quite a bit rougher, but it's amazing what these 4x4s will cover. Crawling forward at low revs we pick our way over rocks and boulders for hours, and finally we arrive at our campsite in the dark.

Thursday 3rd October:

Up at five. We swallow a quick breakfast of porridge and then pack the climbing rucksacks. Surprisingly the sky has completely clouded over. Rob is nervous. It is the very end of the dry season, and heavy rain is expected any day now. Not only might this make our climb tricky, but it could make the Oliphants River unfordable on our return.

For now the Oliphants is very low, and I get across with my boots on. We beat our way up the kloof (ravine) of a tributary of the Oliphants, and then head upwards to the base of the cliffs. Not for the first time on this trip we can't find our route. The cliffs are half a mile wide, with just twenty routes so far, with purely textual descriptions. We are looking for a climb called Raze The Dead, which is just to the right of the descent gully.

Rob has been here once before and quickly finds a corner which looks like the bottom of the descent gully. Moving a bit to the right he then finds another corner which looks even more like the bottom of the descent gully. This is repeated another time, and another. At the fourth we have had enough of finding the same descent gully in four different places, and decide that the route must be here. The rock is compact red sandstone and looks good.

I lead the first pitch. It's easy, about VDiff. The second looks a bit harder. Rob has to go up a bit from the belay, traverse rightwards across the top of the corner, and continue rightwards over a steep wall to reach easier ground. By this stage we have decided that we are off route. Suddenly, from about twenty feet above the belay and to the right, Rob comes flying off. First he hits the rock to my right and then he crashes into me, before swinging back to come to a rest suspended in his harness over the corner to my right. One of his pieces of gear has popped, but another has held. My leg is pretty sore at first where he hit it, but this eases fast, and we swap positions at the belay. Rob is shaking and has had enough of leading for the time being.

It's really not as easy as it looks. I dilly-dally and go back and forward for about half an hour. Meanwhile Rob is looking at his watch and telling me that we're not a quarter of the way up the
cliff yet. Eventually I waggle in an unconvincing Friend, and with this for moral support make the move. The pitch ends with a pleasant surprise: a cave, large enough for two to sleep in shelter, and not visible from the ground.

The traverse pitch turns out to be the one difficult pitch of the climb, and everything after that is about VDiff, although still a bit stressful, as very poorly protected, despite being covered in holds. I lead a further three long pitches, two of them the full length of the ropes, and a shorter one, before we arrive on top. There is a bit of additional excitement near the start of pitch five when an earth foot-hold gives way and I fall feet first on to the top of a small pillar. I lose my footing, fall backwards, and almost do a backwards somersault over the edge of the cliff.

At the top we are not out of the woods yet. Rob can't find the descent. Meanwhile I have had enough of deciding which way to go after doing all the leading over what was unknown ground, so am happy to follow. All I can think of is water. After an hour and a half wandering up and down the bushy slopes of the top of the cliff we find it. By the time we are at the bottom of the final ab it is pitch black.

Once back in the kloof Rob sees fit to give me instructions for what to do if we meet a buffalo or a leopard. Meanwhile I still can't think of anything but water. Rob drinks from the stream, which is
scarcely moving, and I hold out for the first hour or so, but in the end I give in, and decide that a drink is probably worth the risk of being sick tomorrow.

Rob walks into the water while fording the Oliphants on the way back, but blames this on my walking stick. We get back to the tent at eight, and drink water, then fruit juice, then rooibos tea, then beer. Rob says he thinks we have climbed a new route.