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