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. You follow the hiking trail up the gully until it flattens out; a marker there points the way to the start of the climb.
«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 steep, very gravelly T5 (sturdy shoes recommended), but otherwise fairly straightforward to follow. In June there were still snowfields up top, and an ice axe came in very handy. From the summit you head south, past an old piton, and then comes a slabby, somewhat exposed downclimb. On the scree field (at 2740 m) traverse east, past the first gully, and go down the very last one. The gullies in between are probably fine too, just not the first. All told, a proper alpine adventure.