mvs Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 Trip: Laliderspitze, Karwendel Range, Austria - Herzogkante (5.7, ~20 pitches) Date: 8/31/2008 Trip Report: I likes to tell yall about some places you don't usually hear about. On the Germany-Austria border there is a place called the Ahornboden ("acorn valley floor" I guess). It's got cows, plenty of fresh milk, a beer garden and little cabins. It's also surrounded by 800 meter high walls with the easiest route to the top being the Herzogkante. It's a ridge, going at 5.7 plus lots of grungy alpine terrain. But there are also long trad and sport routes in the 5.10 to 5.12 range. Me and another American named Dan hiked in Saturday morning at 5:30 am, and made the long approach (yeah, 2-3 hours is "long" here). The last 30 minutes was finger-freezing step-cutting up a sun-cupped snowfield to the base of the route. One rock in each soon-frozen hand. Another party was already there, occasionally reminding us of their presence with that disturbing low fluttering sound you get when rocks fall by. When the climbing was harder, the rock was solid. When it was easy, there was a bloodbath of rock fall. Caption: The Laliderspitze at dawn. We climbed the ridge. Pitches 2,8,10 and 16 were amazing: steep, solid, exposed, good protection with nuts or fixed pins. Pitch 12 might have been great but was marred for me by painful stomach problems that ended sorrowfully. Europe has bolt wars too! Somebody installed a belay bolt at most belay stances. Then another guy came and smashed it over. It was sad to come up and see Dan belaying from three equalized dubious micro-nuts next to a mangled bolt. It took 8 hours to reach the top. On the hike down there was a bivy shelter nicer than the house my mom and I lived in in the 3rd grade. It hat 8 bunks, blankets, a skylight and a little kitchen. But getting down the wall on the north was scrappy. 8-10 rappels and lots of 4th class downclimbing, touching down right at full dark. Then 3 hours of hiking, ending prematurely at the biergarten. We stretched our sore muscles, reflecting that the climb was first done 97 years ago. Some pics: Dan rounding a corner for 30 meters of unprotectable 5.5: A great 5.7 pitch with huge exposure below. Looking down the ridge: From the summit, looking east. See the luxury bivouac hut? Gear Notes: Medium rack of nuts and cams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el jefe Posted August 31, 2008 Share Posted August 31, 2008 nice TR! thanks for posting. looks like a splendid outing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moronbros Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 danke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Piston Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Sweet Pictures and nice climbing! You have done it...with style. Don't knock those climbing huts...they often have bars, dry beds, hot meals, and women. Beats some of the wet camps I've had in the Northwest. Your TR makes me want to go back to the Alps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoroastr Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Ausgezeichnet! Kaum zu glauben! Vielen Dank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvs Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 Thanks for the kudos everyone. There is a lot of great climbing out here, even outside of the massively popular french alps. And the austria snowy mountains are indeed gentle in comparison, but the rock cliffs are steep and long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marek Posted October 5, 2008 Share Posted October 5, 2008 Mich auch Michael! Ausgezeichnet! Kaum zu glauben! Vielen Dank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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