The weekend is approaching, and we’re not in the mood for the same old Rock Climbing Area. This time, we’re planning a multi-pitch route – ideally in an area we’ve never been to before.
And so we find ourselves in Paznaun – Ischgl. Until now, we’d mainly known and loved the valley for Bouldering at Silvapark above Galtür. But apparently there are also a number of multi-pitch routes on top-quality granite around the Jamtalhütte. As the weather forecast for the afternoon is unsettled, we decide to give the routes involving glacier ascents a miss and set our sights on the Gamshorn Multi-Pitch Climbing Area. According to the topography, the routes there can be combined as you wish – and if the weather takes a turn for the worse, you can get back down safely.
Text: Matthias Bader
The journey by car takes you to Galtür at the end of the Paznaun Valley; the starting point is the small car park at the Mentenalpe above the village. The access to the Jamtalhütte offers impressive scenery and, thanks to the gentle gradient of the valley, is long but not strenuous: around 600 metres of altitude gain, easily covered in two and a half to three hours.
Just before the Mountain Lodge/Hut, a single Cable Car gondola stands out unexpectedly against the landscape. This isn’t part of a Ski Resort: the Jamtal is a training base for the Tirol Mountain Rescue Service, where every conceivable emergency scenario is practised – including rescue from a gondola.
We only stop briefly at the Mountain Lodge/Hut to catch our breath before setting off straight away towards the Gamshorn. The cliff face to the left above the Mountain Lodge/Hut is signposted and clearly visible even from below. The path now becomes considerably steeper, however – the roughly one-and-a-half-hour walk from the Mountain Lodge/Hut feels like it drags on with a heavy climbing rucksack. But the views get better with every metre of Altitude: you’re practically standing on the top floor of Tirol, surrounded by glaciers.
Once we reach the rock face, the flat mountain meadow below the start of the route is just begging for a picnic break. Afterwards, we tackle the route: we opt for the ‘Guideline’. Some of the ascents are signposted, but they’re easy to spot anyway thanks to the bolts.
The views down to the Mountain Lodge/Hut and across to the glaciers are unique; the pitches simply fly by.
Once at the top, we head over to the Hiking Trail and follow it back down, past the Rock Climbing Area. The deteriorating weather puts a damper on our plans for a second route, so we hurry back to the Jamtalhütte in about half an hour.
We’d love to stay here, spend the night and tackle one of the routes across the Glacier Ski Resort the next day. The Mountain Lodge/Hut is the ideal base camp for exactly that – if you plan to stay for more than a day, you’ll really get to grips with the area. Be sure to double-check the conditions and Access routes at the Mountain Lodge/Hut beforehand; in the high mountains, things can change quickly.
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