“How about one more …?”: 4 sport climbing areas for late autumn

Zams-Affenhimmel: the ‘Sun Wall’ above the River Inn

What can be a cause for concern in summer brings joy in late autumn: a south-facing wall. The traditional climbing area of Zams-Affenhimmel near Starkenbach is a prime example of this. In summer, the sun beats down shamelessly on the wall from midday onwards – in late autumn, it warms your back pleasantly, and you can still manage the odd T-shirt climb. At most, you might expose a bit of skin on the sometimes steep, rugged wall climb. Below, the River Inn flows leisurely along in the slanting autumn light.

At a glance:

• 343 routes, 6 to 55 m long, difficulty grades 3 to 8
• Family friendly
• Route recommendations: ‘Zauberlehrling’ (6b), ‘Via Utopia’ (7a) and ‘Süßes Gift’ (7a+)
• An institution since the 1980s

‘Süßes Gift’ sums it up perfectly – on the way down, people often say: ‘We could just do that one again…’

The Geisterschmiedwand in the Kufsteinerland region

Whenever a friend mentions ‘Geistern’, I know straight away what she means: ‘We could go back to the Geisterschmiedwand in the Kufsteinerland.’ However, floating upwards as easily as a ghost is only possible here with strength and stamina – plenty of both certainly won’t go amiss. If you’ve got what it takes, you’ll have a great time on the holes, ledges and slabs.

At a glance:

• 62 routes, 8 to 47 metres long, difficulty grades 5 to 9
• most fun from French grade 8 onwards
• Route tip for experienced climbers: ‘Der lange Weg zum Weißbier’ (8b)

Afterwards, cafés and pubs along the River Inn await in Kufstein – with or without alcohol. An autumn highlight: clipping the quickdraw in the last rays of sunshine and taking in the golden roofs of Kufstein.

Chinesische Mauer in Leutasch

A rocky ridge that truly lives up to its imposing name: the Chinesische Mauer in the Seefeld region looms strikingly above Leutasch – several hundred metres wide and up to 150 metres high. The rock: grippy Wetterstein limestone, the sort usually found only in high mountains, but here right on the valley floor.

At a glance:

• 183 routes, 8 to 120 metres long, difficulty grades 4 to 8
• Access: around 20 minutes from the car park
• the ‘Mauer’ really comes into its own from the eighth French grade onwards
• Route recommendations: ‘Puls 2000’ (7c+) – for connoisseurs, one of the finest routes of its grade – and ‘Watschenmann’ (7b+)

Since 2017, the Mauerfix club has refurbished many routes: instead of rusty bolts, there are now adhesive bolts set in injection mortar; instead of old Rapid links, there are now chain anchors with steel carabiners.

Hanger in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena

The Tiroler Zugspitz Arena is a magnificent playground: In summer, single-pitch and multi-pitch routes in the fresh mountain air attract climbers to the Plattspitzen – in late autumn, climbers flock to the Hanger, a sport climbing area in the valley, situated somewhat in no man’s land between Bavaria and Tirol.

• Rock: beautiful rock formations and impressive overhangs – the routes demand strength.
• Access: 5 minutes from the car park by the road.
• Base of the wall: terraced, which is good news for belayers too.

It’s practically the climber’s gym – with fresh air guaranteed and no membership fee. An area you’ll want to return to: “Just one more time, then …”