by Simon Schöpf
Of course, we don’t want to give away a single metre of altitude. We’ll do everything the electric motor is capable of – if we’re going to do it, we’ll do it properly.
So we tackle those last few metres too, pedalling away – it’s quite a bumpy ride towards the end. But then we’re there, standing beneath the quaint Wegscheid Hochalm and parking our bikes.
We set off from Scheffau on our E-Bikes, first past the baroque village church, then past rustic farmhouses, and on to the Jägerwirt. We plunged into a beautiful, shady forest, splashing happily through the Wegscheidbach stream, and carried on to the Alpine Pasture of the same name. And the whole thing – an important detail – without breaking a sweat. That’s how today’s climbers do it: a harness, rope and climbing shoes just aren’t enough anymore; you need a bike. Ideally one with a motor, because you want to save your energy for the rock face.
E-Bike & Climb has really taken off – there’s even a dedicated landing page for it on Climbers Paradise.com. It’s the perfect combination: tackling gruelling, long ascents and, above all, descents with ease – fun instead of drudgery. From the Alpine Pasture, we carry on towards the crag with some proper muscle power – in a good 30 minutes we’re at the foot of the wall.
The finishing point is the Multerkarwand at the Treffauer in the Westkaiser. Admittedly: compared to the big names like the Mauk, the Fleischbankpfeiler or the Totenkirchl West Face, the Multerkarwand is… well, a bit of a no-name. But today we don’t want to repeat the heroic routes of Buhl, Dülfer & Co.; we simply want to enjoy a nice climb: on beautiful slabs, water-eroded grooves, good holds – and on solid bolts, which you’ll usually search for in vain on the Classic Kaiser routes.
That’s the wonderful thing about the magical world of the Wilder Kaiser: there’s something for everyone, whatever your taste or ability. Today we’re opting for ‘Plaisir’ – pure enjoyment – and warming up on some fantastic water-carved grooves at the Multerkarwand Rock Climbing Area. We’ll need to clear the first few metres a bit – the avalanches have left grass and stones on the rock over the winter. So we’ll tackle the ‘Putzteufel’ (7–), technical climbing at its finest, just like on the ‘God und Gede’ (7/7+).
Once your fingers are warmed up, you can head straight into one of the short Multi-Pitch Climbing routes, such as ‘Das letzte Einhorn’ (7/7+) or ‘Schee & Schwaar’ (7/A0) – the name says it all. Always in the background are the imposing walls of the Kopfkraxen and the Sonneck, which aren’t far from here. Great Finishing Points for long days out in the open air.
Better to cruise than to trudge
We climb for as long as we fancy, then abseil comfortably down to the foot of the wall. A snack, the view across the whole valley – from the Großvenediger to the Tux Alps. And the way back doesn’t have to be the same: back on our mountain bikes, we cycle over to the rustic Kaiseralm. A platter of cold cuts, bread with lard cracklings and – of course – a Radler make the day even better. As the sun is still shining, we even add a detour to Lake Hinterstein. When our aching feet cool off in the refreshing waters of the mountain lake, you can’t help but think: Three cheers for the E-Bike.
The lovely water-carved grooves at the Multerkarwand Rock Climbing Area are a great way to get a feel for the larger Kaiserwände. Also possible as a half-day trip by E-Bike; the sun hits the face from around midday. Wearing a helmet is also recommended in the Rock Climbing Area – chamois are often seen moving along the routes. Multi-Pitch Climbing is also very well secured with bolts and equipped for abseiling (double rope). Routes and topos are available at Climbers Paradise.
Access
From Scheffau (public car park not far from the church) past the Jägerwirt inn to the end of the forest track below the Wegscheid-Hochalm. Continue on foot from here, finishing with a steep scree slope to the base of the face (approx. 30 minutes). Detailed description & GPX track available at Climbers Paradise.
Tips & Safety
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