At the small tower at the Bockmattli there is a well-secured classic in easy terrain with the west wall. We present the route.
On the Bockmattli there are serious alpine tours through the 400 meter high north face of the Great Tower, which offer a lot of adventure feeling. The Swiss climbers Martin Scheel and Gregor Benisowitsch achieved an alpine milestone in 1980 with the first ascent of the Supertramp route. At the time, the tour was considered one of the most difficult routes in the Alps (VIII UIAA) and attracted climbing greats such as Wolfgang Güllich, who secured a repetition for two years.
Simple and worthwhile classic - the west wall
Less serious and more difficult but no less spectacular is the small tower. One of the oldest routes is the west wall, which is now equipped with bolts throughout. While in case of doubt you can still stick to the grass and pines in the top and bottom pitches, the choice of grips and steps in the middle pitches is limited to the typical and beautiful Bockmattli limestone. The protection of the route is good, in the easier lengths the slightly wider distances can be mitigated with friends.
Facts about the Westwandli route at the Kleiner Turm (Bockmattli)
boarding
From the Innerthal stop (about 900 meters from the car park following the lake shore southwards or about 300 meters from the Oberhof restaurant) it takes about one and a half hours to get to the entrance marked «WW».
Descent
Head south from the summit to the Klein Chälen saddle and then follow the path back to the car park.
Equipment
50 meters of rope, 5 – 9 chocks
Restaurant
The small Bockmattli climbing hut for a delicious soup and drinks is open from the last week of April to the end of October. Information at www.bockmattli.ch
Please note:
Due to its exposure, the tour is sunnier than the tours on the classic north face of the Bockmattli and dries up quickly after rain.
Perfect friction in flat terrain
Not only the right climbing shoes ensure the right grip in technical terrain, but also the right magnesium. The selection is large and constantly growing. "High-end chalk" from manufacturers such as FrictionLabs and Tokyo Powder or a base layer of liquid chalk so that the “normal” chalk sticks to the fingertips for longer.
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Credits: Images by Andreas Roth