Engelhörner: Dock 21 (6b) - Silberfinger (6c) - Räubereggä (6c)

Pictures taken by Marcel Dettling on June 29th to July 1st, 2007

Read my report (in German) with a description of the route and the gear that is necessary: Dock 21, Silberfinger, Räubereggä

 

Day 1: Dock 21 (6b) on Gross Simelistock

This is on the access to Dock 21: one has to climb something between a chimney and a canyon to gain the SW-face of Gross Simelistock. It's not that easy, so that we roped up for the steepest part.

 

 

That's a view of the face with route and grades. The route is very well protected and the grades are not too hard. However, the start isn't that easy to find, and it is not marked at all - hopefully this picture will help.

 

Kathrin following the first pitch, with the flat Ochsental and the Zapfen (which offers some nice climbs, too) behind. The rock quality in Dock 21 is generally very good, just in the first two pitches a few meters are somewhat brittle (but well protected).

 

Kathrin doing the 6b-crux of pitch 3. Trust your feet and use the tiny, sharp holds that the excellent limestone offers.

 

Pitch 5: Another well protected 6b in perfect rock with tiny ledges all over. Really a dream to climb!

 

The fog, our faithful companion... it accompanied us for the last two pitches. Here you can see Kathrin climbing into the last belay on the summit of Gross Simelistock. We only started at 4pm in the afternoon and were on top at 7pm - null problemo on a long summer evening.

 

Day 2: Silberfinger (6c) on Gross Simelistock

Since we already started early in the morning, we chose a different, better, but more time consuming access to the SW-face of Gross Simelistock: we climbed the first 5 pitches of Gagelfänger (6b) and then traversed to the start of Silberfinger (6c), one of the really big classic routes in the Engelhörner.

 

Martine belaying Chris in the first pitch of Silberfinger (6b). You have to go full throttle right from the beginning. There are bomber solid glue-in bolts, but they are rather widely spaced. The limestone is outrageous here, offering perfect friction for the feet and tiny crimpers for the hands.

 

Chris moving through the first pitch.

 

Then it was my turn (redpoint, yes!!!) and finally Kathrin tests her fingers in pitch 1 of Silberfinger.

 

The upper half of the first pitch is a bit easier (6a) and offers really cool climbing on big holes (not visible from this perspective). It's not so obvious how to best move through, but hey, that's what we are here for ;-)

 

Martine attacking the 2nd pitch (6a) of Silberfinger on this pillar of excellent, grey rock. I would recommend that you carry some nuts to optimally protect this one, as the bolts are really far apart here.

 

Kathrin following in pitch 2. I had linked it up with the original pitch 3, a short 5a. This works really well and can be recommended. For avoiding rope drag, just use a long piece of webbing for clipping the 2nd belay.

 

Unknown climbers in the upper pitches of Gagelfänger (6b), with the forests and meadows of Schwarzwaldalp behind.

 

Martine belaying Chris in pitch 5 of Silberfinger. This slab is a dream (or a nightmare, according to your skills ;-)) to climb. It's steep and hasn't many big holds, but again, the excellent friction for the feet and some tiny, sharp ledges for the hands allow to move on.

 

Kathrin following the 4th pitch (6b+). It's very airy and exposed here, and the last few meters to the belay pose the crux. Very delicate climbing requires excellent equilibrium, a good plan how to solve this sequence, and calm nerves to really do it ;-)

 

Kathrin making some extreme moves in the 5th pitch (6b). Sometimes the useable holds are so far apart, that you have to step up high with your hands still low, before you have to carefully straighten up to reach the next hold.

 

After pitch 5, one has to follow this easy arete for about 30m. What follows is a rappel of about 20m to the left, to gain access to the start of the 7th pitch (6c). Chris and Martine are doing a variation: they did withouth rapelling and climb the wide Leubner-Riss (6a+, bring a Camalot 3 or bigger for protection).

 

Silberfinger in principle ends before reaching the summit, although it's possible to continue, as we do it here. Kathrin follows the 8th pitch (4a) with some relaxed slab and arete climbing.

 

What an awesome picture! Sun, good rock, airy exposition and the valley floor, where we started, far far below us. Kathrin is just about to reach the summit of Gross Simelistock. Can you feel why we have to rockclimb again and again?

 

Day 3: Räubereggä (6c) on Rosenlauistock

Räubereggä is a recent creation of Kaspar Ochsner (who was the first ascentionist of all three routes we did this weekend). It's leading through the impressively steep SW-face of Rosenlauistock and offers some of the best rock I ever climbed in. Definitely 5 stars to this one - go and do it a.s.a.p.!

 

That's the start of the route. It begins with some boulder moves on an overhang that seems hard at first sight. But just take the sidepull, step up high, reach to a good ledge straight up and mantle - done it is :-)

 

Yep, Kathrin is really enjoying the route! What else would you expect, on this superbe limestone with numerous gouttes d'eau. And on top of it, she's doing everything but the crux move on pitch 2 onsight!

 

Well, when it gets hard, some beta can never hurt ;-) Kathrin athletically exiting pitch 4 of Räubereggä.

 

Chris and Martine also climbed this one with us. And that's Chris already high up on the final pitch 5.

 

A big no, it's not so that we only have eyes for the rock - we also enjoy the flora on the rocks ;-) Some nice edelweiss (leontopodium alpinum) on the way!

 

The movers Kathrin and Marcel after 3 days of action... see you and thanks for watching!

 

More Picture Galleries/Home Marcel Dettling, 2.7.2007