UKH

Hi everybody.  My ice climbing season is over, and my mind is turning to spring training, and summer rock climbs.  I hope the community can help me find some specific rock climbing routes to dream about, train for, and possibly climb! 

Here are some details:

I live in Switzerland, so anything in the land of cheese and cows is fair game, as well as anything in France, Italy, or Austria (within reason).  The only place that's "off limits" is Chamonix...I've been there many times, and I want to branch out. 

I have plenty of experience in the mountains--glaciers, approaches, route finding and terrain, snow and ice, trad gear, and so are all fine--the only thing is, I'm a really poor rock climber!   I have lead a few 6a pitches here and there in the mountains, but I'm far more comfortable in the 5a-5b range.  That said, a 5b hand crack in Chamonix can be impossible for me!  And I've struggled on some sandbagged fourth grade pitches as well.  I plan to focus a great deal on hand strength and technique this spring, so hopefully I can improve my rock climbing skills, but please bear in mind my limited ability when recommending climbs.  Because I do want something to shoot for--something to really inspire me--I was thinking of trying to find a climb generally in my range, with perhaps one of two 6a pitches.  But it can be easier too, if it's really special!

I am looking for something long and beautiful in the mountains, maybe 8-12 pitches or more. 

I love granite, but I'm a really bad crack climber!  So, granite preferably, as long as it doesn't involved sustained, true cracks.  Gneis is OK.  Limestone considered if it's long, high, and alpine in nature, perhaps like some of the long climbs in the Dolomites. 

I love trad climbing, placing gear and so on, but for this climb, bolts are fine.  In fact, I would almost prefer it.  I want to concentrate on the climbing, not on the protection.  A mix of trad and bolts, or a sparsely bolted route where you have to put in a piece here and there, would also be entirely satisfactory.   

The only things I have been thinking about so far are the many long granite rock routes in Bregaglia, and the Aiguille Dibona in the Ecrins--because the peak is so beautiful. 

OK, if you have any ideas, please let me know!

First get crackin’ on shorter harder routes to get finesse. For cracks Cadarese & Orco would be good options. Ponte Brolla and Tessin should already offer a bunch of climbing.

Then do some (easier) classics around Handegg, Val di Mello and Engading & Furka pass. Perhaps Via del Veterano in Tessin to see How fast you can move on moderate terrain (high 4s, low 5s), it’s long and the crux 5c/6a can be aided. So not a target per se, but a good line to evaluate yer speed .

Then set your target to perhaps one of the easiest ridges in Salbitchen. Or longer plus easier Badile N ridge (not sure about the approach though). Cassin on the Badile might also be an option. 

Oh, and I assume you own all of Känels Plaisir books. They pretty much offer the best lines on What yer After. Mixed protection and often bolted anchors. 

Hi Hema,

Thanks for the response.  I like your idea of doing some harder, shorter routes first. 

I do own the Plasir guides--it's a bit hard to get a sense of the routes, however.  Better photos would be nice

I have climbed the South Ridge at Salbit, and the Southeast ridge of the Gross Bielenhorn--both are great climbs. 

More ideas...?

B

In reply to brunoschull:

here are some specific suggestion of routes I have done in the grade you are looking for in your own backyard.

Handegg: routes on Mittagfluh. Not far away Nuffenen Pass Poncione area both Picadilly and Tanti

. And of course Salbt S Ridge. In Bregaglia Piz Gemelli Bugeleisen . SW Ridge Besso and traverse. But since you are already a mountaineer why not Rothorngrat or even Kanzelgrat. 

Have you done the Dri Horlini (a spectacular ridge route - training route but much better than that really - behind the Almagellar hut on the Weismiss)? 

Dri Horlini#photos

or the Mirroir d'Argentine?  Normal route or direct are great fun.  V long on limestone.

No match for crag id:4083

All the stuff around Handegg/Furkha is great too.

Cassini on the Piz Badile. Not much jamming from memory. Long enough and with a technical descent (whichever way you do it) to feel like a proper Alpine route but no glacier approach so you can go light. Check the access situation from the Swiss side though as it was still closed last year after the rock fall on the neighbouring peak. 

Cassin. Frankly at the level he wants, not to be recommended. You need to go fast to get up and down in the day. There are some jamming cracks cold and often wet at the top and not a place to get caught at the end of the day if you are inexperienced, or even experienced cf Rebuffat's epic. And if you are not good at rock as he states, going light with that descent to tackle too inadvisable. You will also note that he has considerable mountain experience so glaciers etc are not his problem. 

Just checking in to say thanks to all, and to keep the conversation going. 

The Zinalrothorn ridge looks great--I might choose to focus on something a little more like a "face"

Mirroir d'Argentierre is definitely on the list, first because it's a cool formation, and second because it's the first real chunk of rock I stared at/wondered about when I moved to Switzerland years ago.

The Cassin route on the Badile definitely seems too hard...but the north ridge of course would be great, if crowded.

I'm thinking more along the lines of the less crowded lines near the Badile

Dolomites ideas?

Austria?

Visite Obligatoire (TD+)

Can't recommend this enough! 12 pitches of 6a, super continuous on amazing granite and the summit is to die for. 

I think one of the routes on the Dibona would suit you, probably the South Face Direct (Voie Madier) (TD+ 6a+), there are a couple of variations that avoid the hardest pitch. The route Visite Obligatoire (TD+), which someone has mentioned, I think would be too hard, I recall it being 6a+ and very sustained.

I might have misinterpreted the OP’s criteria but he says one or two pitches of 6a is ok as long as not much jamming and overall 8-12 pitches. The Cassin has only a couple of 6a pitches although there are a fair few at 5 and 5+. You do need to be fast with moving together on easier pitches ideally and the descent is technical. It’s also more like 20 pitches unless you move together on the easier stuff. But I think it’s a reasonable objective to aim for. Build up with some shorter routes and of course do it in stable weather (the face turns into a mass of waterfalls in a storm - I’ve seen it from just below, scary!). There’s also a bivvy hut at the top so you can take some food and water and go at a more relaxed pace. Of course two days of stable weather required for that. My point about no glacier approach is you can go light - approach shoes would suffice once there’s no snow on the approach and descent (but then it would be best to go back the long way by taxi/bus rather than over the cols). I think it’s a good route to build up to.  

I agree: gorgeous route but we thought the groove pitch (pitch 5?) was top end 6a+. Mind you, nothing to the under-grading on the crux pitch of Voie des Savoyards (TD+). Hardest supposed 6a I've ever fallen off!

Grundschartner Nordkante in Zillertal. Long, wild, granite (hardly any jamming!), gradewise right up your street. Can't recommend it too highly!

https://www.alpinejournals.se/Activities/Alpine-Climbing/Zillertaler-Alpen/...

(Click on the arrow under the 2nd pic and the slide show with captions starts)

Grimsel pass could fit your requirements both grade wise, length & the fact that true long crack pitches do exist on certain routes, but are well indicated in the plasir guide book.

You can't go far wrong in The Dolomites by sticking to the routes around Cortina that have become THE list for Brits ever since the 60s, though unlikely to be empty of other climbers - Primo Spigolo on Tofana di Rozes, Yellow Edge on Cima Piccolissima di Lavaredo, (couple of hard pitches to start then sheer delight), NE Ridge (Spigolo Dibona) on Cima Grande di Lavaredo, SE (Jori) Arete on Punta Fiammes, many others too.

This is not to mention the other honeypot of Sella/Pordoi area. The Sella Towers and Piz de Ciavazes abound with quality, easily accessed (and therefore  popular I'm afraid) routes of  all grades; The Funfingerspitz traverse is very good I'm told and Sassolungo now has some part bolted routes very handy from the chairlift as well as more serious and lengthy traditional routes.

Potentially quieter is the Pala region in the South. I can only recommend one climb from personal experience, the Pala del Rifugio Via Frisch Corradini though on the same mountain the Castiglioni and Gogna routes are said to be equally rewarding. The famous Scarf Arete on the Cima della Madonna is on my list and I'm sure a bit of research would bring up many others in this region that seems to me to be less popular with British climbers.

Granite, on the interesting side of Mont Blanc: Voie Ottoz-Hurzeler (TD)

Surprisingly steep for the grade and in fantastic surroundings. Maybe not quite hard enough for what you're looking for, there's no 6, but it's a very good day out.

Salbitschijen southridge might fit your description. Nothing harder than +/-5c, no cracks as far as I can remember, 16 pitches of beautiful granite ridge climbing.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/09/salbitschijen_south_ridge-70004

The Madier on the Aiguille Dibona won't disappoint. My diary is normally just a list of routes, but for the Madier I actually noted 'The best. Just brilliant!' Fabulous looking peak too, no glacier, hut at the bottom or good bivvies close by (as we did). Ticks all the boxes!

Grundschartner Nordkante (700m) is also getting a vote from me on granite as something very reasonable - possibly as a warm up to greater things within the season? It has one pitch of VI-(5c/+) and then otherwise is much steadier. 

On limestone, it'd be well worth considering Gloria Patri (VI+) (600m) on Hochkönig-Südwand. It has one VI+(6a) pitch which can also be done A0 and otherwise is easier in the 4's/5's. The approach and general surrounding is absolutely fantastic - see pictures here: 

http://moaddsgaude.blogspot.com/2006/10/hochknig-gloria-patri.html 

Be aware that Gloria Patri is possibly one of the most sought after alpine routes in Austria and so will require an early start to prevent queuing. Generally speaking a 3:30am start should get you to the base of the wall at dawn leaving plenty of time to climb through in daylight. The first pitch is only IV- but is often wet so don't be put off by this as the rest of the route should be dry. 

How about the Eperon Demange on the Cougourde in the Alpes Maritimes. Really beautiful route. 13 pitches. Did it 10 years or so back, and absolutely loved it

Steve