Gwächten – Super Schneehun
An alpine multi-pitch on the Gwächten above the Erstfeldertal — «Super Schneehun», 6b, right by the Kröntenhütte, where a dip in the lake awaits after the climb.
Super Schneehun on the Gwächten
The Gwächten rise above the Erstfeldertal, right next to the Kröntenhütte — and the hut alone is reason enough to come: after the climbing, a dip in the lake awaits below. The approach from the hut to the foot of the wall is short, a good hour and a half there and back.
«Super Schneehun» takes several pitches at grade 6b, around four hours of climbing. The first pitch is the least pleasant: loose rock, half-loose boulders, a start that commands respect. Don’t let it put you off — the rest of the route is much nicer. From the second pitch on (6b, decently bolted) it starts to be real fun.
The descent is a little tricky: the description is quite vague, but manageable (T5). All told, a proper alpine adventure.
How it went for me
The first pitch was honestly scary — loose stuff under the hands, and you climb with half your attention on the rock and half on the boulders that might come with you. But after the second pitch the mood flipped: clean bolts, good rock, and from there we genuinely enjoyed it. The descent then cost us a few pauses for thought, because the description gave so little away. The swim in the lake afterwards was the perfect finish.