48 peaks, 74 kilometers and 9.200 meters of altitude gain in 29 hours and 30 minutes: Innsbruck mountaineer Lukas Waldner achieves the first continuous traverse of the Gleirsch-Halltal chain and the Nordkette in the Karwendel mountains.
On July 24th and 25th, 2026 Luke Waldner In the Tyrolean Karwendel mountains, a route was completed that no one had previously traversed in one go: the connection of the Gleirsch-Halltal chain with the Nordkette. Waldner needed 29 hours and 30 minutes for the 74 kilometers, approximately 9.200 meters of elevation gain, and 48 peaks. To date, both chains have only ever been crossed individually – a combined ascent in a single push was unprecedented.
Two chains, two characters
The Nordkette mountain range dominates the silhouette of the mountains directly above Innsbruck and is regularly traversed. The parallel Gleirsch-Halltal range, running behind it, is considerably more challenging. It traverses long stretches of exposed, brittle, and difficult-to-navigate ridge with climbing sections up to grade IV. Only a few rope teams attempt it in a single day. Moreover, the majority of the route lies on trackless ridge terrain and must be negotiated by climbing.
Top images: 48 summits in 29,5 hours: Waldner climbing, at the summit cross, and during a short break. Bottom images: Second morning on the Nordkette: After spending the night on the ridge, the line continues westward over Innsbruck at sunrise. | Photo: Tom Czermak / Mathias Gschwendtner
The difficult part in daylight
Waldner had pursued the project for several years. On July 24, 2026, he started at 06:55 a.m. from the Möslalm and began with the Gleirsch-Halltal ridge, from the Hoher Gleirsch to the Hundskopf. This allowed him to tackle the more challenging section in daylight. He then followed the northern ridge from the Hochmahdkopf to the Großer Solstein, which took him through the night and the second morning. On July 25 at 12:25 p.m., Waldner reached the Möslalm again. He was mostly alone on the route, only accompanied on certain sections and receiving support at aid stations.
A strong year for Waldner
Lukas Waldner, born in 2001, is an alpinist and athlete from Innsbruck, specializing in fast, technically demanding alpine projects. In October 2025, he achieved the first ascent of Kimshung (6.781 m) in Nepal. In January 2026, together with Martin Sieberer, he completed the first winter ascent of the "Schutzengelweg" (Guardian Angel Route) on the north face of the Sagwandspitze in Tyrol. This ascent is also considered the first known repeat of the route in 34 years. In March 2026, he and Philipp Brugger made the first ascent of the route. all three north face pillars of Piz Palü on a winter day.
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Credits: Cover image: Tom Czermak / Mathias Gschwendtner