Wysswändli
A multi-pitch route through the west face of the Grosse Mythen — eleven short pitches of gullies, chimneys and grass ledges up to the Mythenmatt.
Eleven short pitches through the west face
On the walk in, what you mostly see of the Wysswändli is the detached rock tower in front of it — and you think there’s no way through. In fact the line goes to the right of it, through a system of gullies, chimneys and grass ledges that stays surprisingly amenable for how steep the ground looks. Eleven short pitches, around two and a half hours, climbing at grade 3: nothing that pushes you, but terrain that asks you to keep your wits about you the whole way.
The route tops out on the Mythenmatt. From there the Rot Grätli carries on to the summit of the Grosse Mythen — the logical continuation, and the reason the Wysswändli is rarely climbed on its own. For a full day, string the Adlerspitzli and the Ruchband onto the front of it.
The ground is stepped and full of grass, and that’s the catch: wet, a lot of it is trickier than it looks. A few dry days beforehand make the difference between an enjoyable outing and an unpleasant one.
Tip: the approach from Brunni is short, but the descent off the summit by the normal route is long and, in summer, busy. Starting early pays twice.
Hero image: Chris.urs-o, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
