Schmalstöckli
Compact limestone above the Riemenstalden valley — a dense web of routes at every grade, for example the Lange Kombination over six pitches at 5c.
A bright limestone reef above Lidernen
The Schmalstöckli stands at 2012 metres between the Lidernen hut and the Chaiserstock, and together with its bigger neighbour it is the climbing centre of the Riemenstalden valley. Bright, compact mountain limestone, steep and overhanging in places, covered by a dense web of well-protected routes — from a children’s crag in the gentler ground on the west side up to grades that ask you to stretch properly.
For a long day, the pick is the Lange Kombination: start at the lowest point of the wall, then keep right over six pitches to the summit, at 5c. The route is stitched together from sections of several neighbouring lines — which explains the name, and asks for a bit of route-finding on the wall, because anchors and bolt lines belonging to other climbs run alongside the whole way. The descent is by abseiling back down the face to the start.
The approach is short and the cable car drops you almost at the foot of the wall — the great advantage of the area and, at the same time, its problem. On fine weekends it can get busy here, with queues at the popular starts and stonefall from parties higher up. Midweek, or early in the morning, it is far quieter.
Tip: the wall faces south-west, dries quickly and turns into an oven around midday in high summer — the afternoon is its sunny spell, the morning the more pleasant time to climb. The Lidernen hut is ten minutes’ walk away and turns a day of climbing into a weekend with no extra effort.
On my list but not yet climbed myself — a personal report will follow.