Is a rainy weekend on the cards? If you’re confident at French grade 7, there’s no need to head indoors: thanks to its steepness, the Götterwandl near Nassereith stays largely dry even in light rain.
Many visitors are surprised on their first visit by just how consistently steep the face is. The Götterwandl is not a natural gem in the classic sense – but it is one of the most reliable options in the Imst region when the weather isn’t on your side.
Text: Thomas Wanner
The Götterwandl is an overhanging, north-facing limestone wall situated at an altitude of around 900 metres above Nassereith. The 36 routes have a length of between 8 and 25 metres; with the exception of a handful, they are all graded between 7 and 9. The wall is sheltered from the wind, and the approach takes 15 to 25 minutes.
How to get there: In the village of Nassereith, turn off near the supermarket towards the Brunnwald district and follow the yellow signposts. Park just before the Gaflein Bridge: turn left onto the small forest track, where there are parking spaces.
The crag was developed by the trio of Stefan Brunner, Werner Nothdurfter and Patric Rupprich. The best-known route is ‘Hades’ (9a): greats such as Adam Ondra, Patxi Usobiaga and the Bindhammer brothers have made the pilgrimage to Nassereith to tackle it, whilst Angy Eiter achieved the first female ascent.
Among the great classics are ‘Venus’ (7c), ‘Ares’ (8a) and ‘Uranus’ (8a+/8b), all bolted and first ascended by Stefan Brunner. ‘Zeus’ has achieved cult status: the route starts with a heavily overhanging crack and leads into a brutal crux involving small edges. On the right-hand section of the wall, the American Cody Roth has made his mark with ‘Odysseus’ (8b).
The number of routes is manageable, and the difficulty levels are consistently high – it’s easy to find a project to devote yourself to for a while. The moves are athletic and demanding in terms of stamina, and the rock has been well-climbed over the years.
In stable weather, the trip up to the Hahntennjoch is well worth it; more areas around Imst can be found in Heimatklettern, Chapter 1: Imst Holiday Region. And after a successful climb, a beer in Nassereith at the end of the day is simply a must.
Tips & Safety
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