Watzmann (2713 m) traverse

One of the jewels in the northern Alpine limestone mountains is the Watzmann near Berchtesgaden not far away from the Austrian order and Salzburg. On the 7/8th of September 2018, Marco, Matthias and I decided to do the Watzmann traverse, a technically easy but long, classic mountaineering tour with some via ferrata sections. Marco and Matthias and I are childhood friends and we all did triathlons together. 

I did the first peak of the Watzmann range in May 2016, just after my arrival in Munich. On the right is the Hocheck, on the left the Watzmann wife and in-between the Watzmann kids (May 2016 photo). 

 Here, a view from the Hocheck to the Watzmann alpine hut and the glen below (another May 2016 photo). 

 The Watzmann is 2713 m and the Wimbach car park so a 2000 m+ ascent. For that reason the Watzmann alpine hut is popular but you need to book months in advance. So we had booked from the 8th-9th of September and the forecast was unstable so we had countless "go" or "no go" e-mails. In the end the weather looked bad for Friday but good for Saturday. I arrived at 3 pm and did a speedy ascent to the hut in murky weather with only a few drops of rain. 

 The hut was not full. We had food & beer and retired just after 9 pm hoping that the walking & beer would make us sleep at least for a bid (and not send us to the toilet!). Alpine hut bunkbeds are not my favourite but a means to an end. I slept but woke up at 2 am and waited for dawn. 

The weather looked good and so we got up at 6 am, had breakfast and left at 7.15 am. Here is the sign of the hut. 

 And here we start. 

 The first bit is the ascent to the Hocheck at 2651 m which is the start of the ridge. Here is Marco glad to start the fun bit. 

 Most of the ridge is exposed via ferrata-style scrambling interspersed with walking on bands. 

 Here is Matthias on a large slab...

 ... and here Marco scrambles up a corner. 

 We soon arrived at the Mittelspitze (2713 m) which is the highest summit of the ridge. 

 During the whole ridge traverse the Western side was free of clouds but the Eastern side was covered. This is a pity because the Eastern side is a 2000 m-high face that rises all the way from the Koenigssee (King's loch) to the ridge. It unfortunately has a lot of lose rock, is not too steep and has a couple of easier routes. Here is Marco continuing towards the Southern end of the ridge. 

 A few exposed bits without rope so being steady and careful is key to avoid the "ride royal". 

 Here, is a fin bit scrambling down a large pillar which is secured with iron cables. 

 More scrambling...

 ... and an exposed band leading back up to the ridge. 

 On the Western side we could at times see all the way down to the glen which is between 1500-2000 m below. 

 Just before the end the ridge narrows to a knife edge for some exposed scambling... 

 ... before an easier ascent to the Suedspitze (2712 m). Here is team MMH. 

 And then the endless descent from 2700 m to 600 m altitude. Add to that plenty of scrambling and descending on lose rock with only a wee bit of scree surfing.

 Here, we have left the upper scrambly bit and descent on slippery, lose rock and gravel. 

 At around 1800 m of altitude the landscape becomes greener and there is a small screen with fresh, clear mountain water. 

 The walking is rarely straight forward. Here a sandy chute with an ion chain. 

 Things only become benign when you reach the Wimbachgries at 1400 m of altitude, so one Ben Nevis down from the top. It is a glen filled with limestone gravel from the mountains that surround it. I was greeted by two chamois. 

 The Wimbachgries is a Lord of the Rings landscape and the paty is easy-to-walk gravel. 

 Here is Matthias with the Watzmann and descent line behind him.

 Here is Marco descending to the Wimbachgrieshuette at 1327 m, roughly the altitude of the Ben. 

 Marco and Matthias stayed there but I walked out another 2 h to reach the Wimbach car park. Here, a last zoom photo of the Suedspitze. 

Logistics: The best time is from July (earlier there is too much snow) to October with a stable no thunderstorm forcast. Being nearly 3000 m high means that the temperatures on the ridge will almost be 15 degrees less than in the glen. The Watzmann ridge is like the Aonach Eagach on steroids so be fit especially if you plan a glen-to-glen ascent. Being fit means Marathon fitness plus being able to ascent and descent 2300 m in a day. You have two options either book the Watzmannhaus ideally 6 months in advance or do the glen-to-glen round. If you climb VS or above, you probably do not need a via ferrata harness and that will speed you up. Ideally avoid weekends in season as the ridge will be crowded. 

HW

The Kaiser again: RWI

Another summer weekend where both Arno and I were free to climb. And again, the forecasters announced a summer's day. I suggested trying a different region but the Kaiser keeps on giving so the Clova Clova boys decided to try another route on the Scheffauer, one of the Kaiser peaks. It is on the Southern side of the Kaiser so on a Bavarian-Austrian summer's day it gets properly hot.

The Wilde Kaiser is best covered by Markus Stadler's website with detailed topos, photos and descriptions in German. However with the "translate to English" button you will get most of it. Here is the the website for our climb, RWI:

https://www.stadler-markus.de/alpinklettern/wilder-kaiser/kletterrouten/treffauer/routeninfos/beschreibung/rwi.html

It is a short route for the Kaiser with only 8 pitches but they are all graded UIAA 5 (hard severe) and 6 (HVS to E1). A bit like a HVS/E1 on the Dubh Loch, with more tricky bits but RWI had tons of bolts (on the Kaiser you get everything from 100% trad to fully bolted and this is reflected in the E grading). Here is our line, from a photo taken during the descent...

 ... and here is Arno approaching the crag in the morning. 

 The start was a well bolted balancy traverse so no warm up. 

All day great views towards the West although it was a wee bit hazy. 

 Pitch 2 and 3 were balancy slabs with some steps and chimneys. 

Pitch 4 was the crux, with a 6-graded steep chimney with poor holds which felt E1 to me (or I must be getting old). After that some grassy walking to reach the two pitches on the upper wall. 

 Here is Arno with some jackdaws above. They came closer begging for food. After that a 6- problem which was a very balancy slab to reach the top. 

 From there 5 abseils. Here is Arno descending the upper wall...

 ... and here he leaves the meadow for a steep abseil down the main cliff. 

Only 1 h back to the car and a beer in the Jaegerwirt in Scheffau where we parked the car. Unfortunately the Jaegerwirt is now a rather posh place so it is probably better to go to a Scheffau restaurant to wine & dine with some smelly climbers and walkers.

HW

Wilder Kaiser: Blue Moon VI+

It has been a trilogy of action weekends. First, the Wildspitze as a high altitude trek. Second, the superb sea kayaking symposium on the Shetland islands. And third, yesterday Arno and I climbed Blue Moon, a UIAA VI+ (roughly E1) graded 14 pitch climb on the Wilde Kaiser. In contrast to our other Kaiser climbs, this route started in Scheffau which is to the South of the Kaiser. The route had 5 long pitches graded VI and whilst there are bolts this is a lot of tricky climbing for us. Here is a topo of the route. 

 Arno picked me up at 6 am and it was already quite warm during the ascent. Here is a local.

 After just under 2 h we reached the bottom of the route marked by a wee blue moon. 

 The first two pitches were easy but pitch 3 was a VI+ graded runnel pitch. Here, Arno starts the pitch...

 ... and here Arno is about to start to follow a long limestone runnel with painful foot placements and technical, balancy climbing. 

 After that essentially a walk to reach another piece of fantastic limestone including the giant flake on pitch 6).

 Here, Arno starts pitch 5...

 ... and here he cruises to the bottom of the flake. 

 The flake was graded 6. However, it is long, pumpy with sketchy foot placements. Here, I start the climbing.

 The angle is first moderate and the climbing is pumpy but within the comfort zone. However, at the end the angle steepens and the flake goes rightwards. Pump Central! Both Arno and I really had to dig deep and I was about to come off several times. Luckily there are 12 bolts in this pitch as the flake would only take giant cams. 

 Above a bit of grassy scrambling to get on the giant, exposed towers that form the upper part of the route. Two pitches of V which is roughly hard severe. 

 Here, Arno finishes the secon of the V-graded pitches. 

 The next bit is again harder climbing that includes three long VI-graded pitches which was tough after the flake pump fest. Here, I am on one of these pitches. 

 We finally reached the top of the tower...

 ... and here is Arno zoomed in. 

 Just a grade II scramble followed by a blocky but relatively steep pitch graded IV to emerge at the top. 

 A wee walk on the ridge with a view to the West...

 ... and to the North. The river is the Inn, which has eroded the valley from Kufstein to Innsbruck.

After that 1300 m of descent, just like Ben Nevis. 

The Wilde Kaiser is a fantastic, classical climbing area and highly recommended for Scottish climbers. Generally the style is bolted belays and bolts where the climbing is harder but not elsewhere and this helps to do big routes in a day. So take up to 20 quickdraws, a lean set of nuts and some cams. Take 1.5 l of water because it can be warm (you usually end up more or less dehydrated) and either have a light, largr rucksack for the second or use one light rucksack each. Also, perhaps start with a route well within your limits.

HW