Kathrin high on the first pitch, approaching the one the rare opportunities to clip... an old piton. But to make things clear: the protection in Excalibur is ok, but you have to be able to climb a hard 6b. For the crux move, the bolt is at your knees, but then you have to run it out for about 5m in easier (6a/6a+ or so) terrain.

The Wendenstöcke are in a very beautiful alpine setting, so you can enjoy the view while belaying. These are Titlis (left, 3239m), Grassen (middle, 2946m) and Fünffingerstöck/Wendenhorn (right, 3023m). 

Kathrin following the second pitch (6a), which is still in the big grey slab at the foot of Excaliburpfeiler. The climbing is still very good here, and a bit easier than in the first pitch. However, orientation isn't easy. There is just one bolt at the start and an old piton before the belay. In between, there are some tunnels (Sanduhr), but you have to find them. My advice: bring a good topo (the ones from Schweiz Extrem are accurate) and always watch where you're going.

Kathrin on the third pitch (5c+). The fixed protection amounts to one single bolt, which protects the steep and athletic crux that is very hard for the grade.

Still Kathrin following in pitch 3. The overhanging dihedral in the upper part of the pitch is steep and strenuous. Excalibur hosts a lot of crack climbing and is never easy. Don't be misled by the grades in the topo, there isn't a single pitch that is quickly and easily done. One more word to the protection: you'll find bolts only where it is utterly necessary. All the cracks have to be protected by yourself, but this works comparably very well for a limestone route. So bring a well sorted rack and bear in mind that many of the placements need power/stamina.

This is the view to Sustenhorn (left, 3504m), Gwächtenhorn (middle, 3420m) and Tierberg (right, 3447m).

Kathrin cracking it up in the fourth pitch (6a). In the lower part, you have to navigate in exposed terrain, before a (for the grade) hard and athletic, but bolt protected passage follows. And the pitch ends with another strenuous crack that has to be protected by yourself.

This is the traverse at the start of the fifth pitch (6a, again, guess what, really tough for the grade). I've seen so many pictures of this passage here that I had to hand over the camera to Kathrin. You know what? I had always thought that the round hole would offer a good hold... forget it!

This is Kathrin following in the splendid rock of the sixth pitch (6a+). This is the one where I found the protection most questionable. No possibility to place gear, just old pitons, fragile rock tunnels and two very widely spaced bolts. But maybe it was just me... I had to struggle, but finally pulled it off on sight.

Kathrin exiting pitch 6, pure pleasure from the beginning to the end, with a very airy belay afterwards. Maybe you wouldn't believe it from the picture, but from here it's 200 overhanging meters to the grassy ledge below.

No pictures from pitch 7, which offers some more laybacking, difficult orientation and has to be self protected. This is Kathrin in the eight and final pitch (4c). It is alpine, has loose rock and isn't easy to protect (no fixed protection available). But you have to do it, it would be a big bummer to miss out on the summit of Excaliburpfeiler.

Rapelling over the route is the challenge after you're on top. It's steep and some pendulums are necessary to reach the belays. Some of them are made up of rather antique material (old, non-locking biners with rotten webbing through the bare bolt hangers and the like). But we made it to the bottom, where this female ibex greeted us. Downclimbing to the car then is the next challenge (see the terrain in the profile behind the ibex), be careful! We made it back to the car by about 9pm, after almost 14 hours of action: cheers!