EndeNie: 38 pitches through the Loferer Steinberge

A tour that is unrivalled in the Northern Limestone Alps – and whose name says it all.
Climbers on the ‘EndeNie’ route in the Loferer Steinberge
Climbers on the ‘EndeNie’ route in the Loferer Steinberge

By way of comparison: the other long walls

The longest route in the Wilder Kaiser? The Kleine Halt north-west face, covering 1,000 metres of climbing over 24 pitches (“Via Aqua”). The “Freier als Paul Preuß” route on the Hochkönig? 1,150 metres, 28 pitches. The famous “Don Quixotte” on the south face of the Marmolada? 800 metres, 20 pitches.

And the Loferer Steinberge? Thirty-eight pitches. Bolted throughout. The route’s name could hardly be more fitting: ‘EndeNie’. The name says it all – anyone standing at the foot of this wall is left speechless at first.

Text: Simon Schöpf

Climbers on the ‘EndeNie’ route in the Loferer Steinberge

Two worlds in the Strub Valley

To the east of the Strub Valley, the compact, seven-kilometre-distance limestone cliffs of theLoferer Steinplatte bask in the sun. To the west, the scenery is completely different: the northern faces of theLoferer Steinberge are high, alpine and shaded.

Anyone who has the ‘EndeNie’ on their to-do list should set off early – it’s certainly a full day’s work. And once you’ve conquered the route, it’s less ‘EndeNie’ and more ‘EndeBald’: with the panoramic view from the summit, you’ll have completed one of the longest routes in the Northern Limestone Alps that’s secured throughout with bolts.

You can spend the night at the Schmidt-Zabierow Mountain Lodge/Hut. And if the high-pressure system is still lingering the next day, you can switch from the marathon route to the sprint distance – and thus head down to the valley side, to the Steinplatte.

The tour dates at a glance

  • Route: EndeNie (7.), Loferer Steinberge
  • Distance: 1,600 metres of climbing, 38 pitches
  • First ascenders: A. Stocker, J. Simair and companions (August 2001)
  • Difficulty: 7− in places, mostly 5+
  • Protection: bolted throughout – 80 belay bolts, 118 intermediate anchors
  • Best time of year: July to October
View over the wall of the ‘EndeNie’ hiking route

Reading material for trips of long distance

For those who enjoy technical climbing marathons, we highly recommend Adi Stocker’s guidebook to the very best climbs in the Northern Limestone Alps: *Longlines*, published by Panico Alpinverlag.

For routes on the Steinplatte limestone ridge, there is the ‘Steinplatte’ alpine climbing guide, covering Wiesloch, Wemeteigen, Sonnwandl, Loferer Alpine Pasture and the Rock Climbing Areas in the surrounding area.

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