Ameisenrennen

Gerstenegg – Dom (Räterichsbodensee) · Grimsel · Switzerland

Easy to bailBolting confidence: high

Seventeen pitches up the whole height of the Dom slab above the Räterichsbodensee: a first steep step, a long easier middle of pure friction, and a steeper finish with an overhanging crack the first ascensionists named the Teufelsriss. Two short 6a passages go on aid at 5b+. Rough, grippy granite and comfortable belays throughout.

The Dom slab at Gerstenegg, which Ameisenrennen climbs from its lowest point to the topPhoto: Philip N · CC BY-SA 3.0

Hardest pitch: 6a
Pitches: 17
Length: 500 m
Approach: 30 min
Aspect: SE; South-east-facing
Rope: 2×50 m; pitch 11 is given as 51 m

The route

Overview

Ameisenrennen, 'the ants' race', is a 2020 route by Patrik Müller and Andreas Pfeuti that climbs the Dom, the highest slab of the Gerstenegg, from its lowest tip to the top in 17 pitches. It is among the best-bolted long routes at an accessible grade on the Grimsel: most pitches are 4a to 5c, and the two 6a passages can be passed with a few pulls on bolts. The climbing varies more than Grimsel slabs usually do, with edges, pure friction and vertical cracks. Belays are chained and placed so that partners can usually see each other. Allow a full half-day and settled weather.

The climbing

Pitch by pitch

Pitches of Ameisenrennen
Pitch	Grade	Length	Notes
P1	5c	35 m	Round the starting block and onto rough slab; a fine opening pitch.
P2	5b	45 m	Slab.
P3	6a	40 m	A delicate slab the openers call the dance on tiptoe, using thin slanting cracks for the fingertips. Goes at 5b+ with three points of aid.
P4	5b+	48 m	Just as good: slender and more vertical.
P5	5a	45 m	Slab, the start of the easier middle section.
P6	4c	40 m	Low-angle friction.
P7	4a	45 m	Low-angle friction.
P8	4a	50 m	Low-angle friction.
P9	5a+	30 m	Describes a big arc to the right; watch the rope drag.
P10	4a	50 m	Low-angle friction.
P11	4a	51 m	A very long easy pitch; camptocamp gives 51 m.
P12	6a	–	A few very thin moves to turn a small overhang on the right. Goes at 5b with two points of aid.
P13	5b+	45 m	Slab as the wall steepens again.
P14	5c	45 m	The Teufelsriss: you leave the slabs for an overhanging crack, strenuous when you arrive cold from the easy pitches.
P15	5a	45 m	A crack with wide, satisfying moves.
P16	5b/c	50 m	A fine black slab; goes at 5a with one point of aid. The summit logbook is here.
P17	5c	–	Thin; stay alert despite the fatigue. Goes at 5a with two points of aid. A turquoise dot on a rock to the left marks a last belay for an easy exit to the path.

Getting there

Approach

To the parking

The Gerstenegg and Räterichsbodensee slabs lie beside the Grimsel pass road, between Guttannen and the pass, reached from Meiringen and Innertkirchen on the Bernese side or over the pass from the Valais. The road is open roughly from May or June to October or November, depending on snow. There are car parks at Chüenzentennlen (1596 m), about 1 km below the Räterichsbodensee dam between the hairpins and the tunnel, and at the dam itself (1767 m). A PostBus runs from June to October and stops at both. Hotel Handeck, a few kilometres down the valley, has rooms and a dormitory; discreet bivouacs are tolerated at best.

On foot · about 30 min

Park at the Räterichsbodensee dam and walk up towards the route La Strada; Ameisenrennen starts at the very beginning of the Dom, at its lowest point. Look for the letters AR painted in turquoise and a metal plate with the route's initials. About 30 minutes. The start is also about 10 minutes from the top of Fliegender Teppich, and theCrag describes a shorter approach from Chüenzentennlen.

Map of the walk-in

Crag
Parking

Loading map

The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.

Coordinates · crag

46.59469, 8.31352

Parking

46.59062, 8.32794

Räterichsbodensee dam (camptocamp waypoint 133701)

Point from camptocamp waypoint 475874 (Grimsel, Gerstenegg, Dom)

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Contains the route point and parking. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.

Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.

Getting down

Descent

Walk off, which camptocamp strongly recommends over abseiling. From the last belay a well-trodden, marked track leads to the path coming down from the Bächlital and back to the dam in about an hour. Expect some steep and boggy stretches, and a stream that a June 2026 party had to wade when it was swollen with snowmelt. Abseiling the route from the chained belays is possible.

Retreat

Bailing off the route

Easy to bail

Every belay is chained and camptocamp confirms the route can be abseiled, so retreat is possible from any stance. It is slow from high up: the route has 17 pitches of up to 51 m, so you need two ropes and time.

Retreat from: Any belay.
Point of no return: None stated. From the upper third it is quicker to finish and walk off in an hour.
Carry: 2×50 m ropes at least; pitch 11 is given as 51 m, so check that abseil carefully or use 60 m ropes.
Basis: Part stated, part inferredChained belays and the possibility of abseiling are stated on camptocamp; the rope-length caution is inferred from the pitch lengths.

Partly inferred from the route facts

Safety

Hazards

A few bolts have been crushed by sliding snow patches; in June 2026 they could still be clipped, but this may get worse.
Seventeen pitches is a long way to retreat from in a storm.
The stream on the walk down can be high during snowmelt.
Letzter Tango, by the same openers, starts 12 m to the right and is more sparsely bolted; do not confuse the two.

Sun and weather

Conditions

South-east facing granite slab between about 1750 m and 2240 m, in the sun from early morning. Snow patches lie on and below the slab into June and their slow slide is what damages bolts. The rock is very rough and has few seeps, but friction slabs need to be fully dry. The Grimsel is known for unsettled weather: on a 17-pitch route, start early and avoid thundery days.

Usual season · Jun to Oct

JFMAMJJASOND

Sun on the wall · SE-facing

Working out the sunlit hours for this month.

January: not yet worked out
February: not yet worked out
March: not yet worked out
April: not yet worked out
May: not yet worked out
June (usual season): not yet worked out
July (usual season): not yet worked out
August (usual season): not yet worked out
September (usual season): not yet worked out
October (usual season): not yet worked out
November: not yet worked out
December: not yet worked out
060912151821

Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season

Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.

Monthly climate averages for Grimsel, 1991-2020
Measure	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun (usual season)	Jul (usual season)	Aug (usual season)	Sep (usual season)	Oct (usual season)	Nov	Dec
Mean daily high °C	−3	−1	2	5	9	14	17	17	13	8	2	−2
Mean daily low °C	−8	−8	−5	−2	2	6	8	9	5	1	−4	−8
Rain days 1 mm or more	14	12	15	15	18	19	20	18	15	14	15	15

● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1777 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.

What to carry

Gear

12 quickdraws and nothing else, according to camptocamp. theCrag lists cams 0.5 to 2 as an optional extra and 2×50 m ropes. Note the 50 and 51 m pitches if you climb on a single 50 m rope. Helmet.

Checklist

Quickdraws: 12
Rope: 2×50 m (pitch 11 is given as 51 m)
Helmet: One each
Abseil device and prusik: The descent or the retreat involves abseiling

Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo

From climbers

Reader reports

Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Ameisenrennen.

Worth knowing

Tips

Camptocamp allows 4 to 6 hours; parties in 2022 and 2026 took 4.5 to 5 hours.
The easy middle pitches (6 to 11) can be moved through quickly.
Fliegender Teppich the afternoon before makes a good introduction to Grimsel friction, and its top is 10 minutes from this start.
A 2026 party found the summit logbook full.

Open questions

Where sources disagree

Length: 500 m of climbing on camptocamp; theCrag gives 360 m.
Gear: 'nothing else' besides 12 quickdraws on camptocamp; theCrag adds 'possibly cams 0.5 to 2'.
Approach: 30 minutes from the dam on camptocamp; theCrag describes about 10 minutes from Chüenzentennlen.
Rope: theCrag lists 50 m ropes although camptocamp gives pitches of 50 and 51 m.
theCrag details come from a search summary only; the page itself and the Filidor topo PDF could not be opened.

Provenance

Sources

Camptocamp – Grimsel, Gerstenegg, Dom: AmeisenrennenUsed for: pitch grades, lengths, aid options, approach, descent, bolting, gear, history
Camptocamp – trip reports 2022 and 2026 (outings 1919495, 1441278)Used for: crushed bolts, stream crossing, timings, pitch impressions
theCrag – Ameisenrennen (search summary only)Used for: independent grade list, obligatory grade, length, gear, first ascent date
Filidor – Schweiz Plaisir West: GersteneggUsed for: crag overview, public transport, guidebook

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Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.