Däumling · Dachstein (Gosaukamm) · Austria
Read the cautionsBail with caveats
The classic of the Gosaukamm: 14 pitches of slabs, corners and edges on superb rough limestone up the elegant east pillar of the Däumling, rebolted in 2013. Mostly UIAA 5 to 6 with several 6+ passages, ending with a polished overhang (the Ringwulst) at UIAA 7- (6a+) that goes at A0 on the bolts. Alpine setting, long day, abseil descent.
Rebolted in 2013 and climbable on quickdraws, but it is a long alpine route with spaced bolts on the easier pitches, old pegs, a polished A0 crux and an abseil descent where ropes can snag.
6a+VII-5.10b14 pitches · 375 mBail with caveats
The east edge of the Däumling, a slender pillar in front of the Niederes Großwandeck, was first climbed in 1932 and is the best-known classic of the Gosaukamm. The line takes the easiest way up the exposed pillar, mostly just left of the edge, on slabs and corners in excellent rough limestone, and gets steadily harder and more interesting towards the top. In 2013 the hut's climbing team rebolted it completely, placing every bolt on lead, so it now feels close to a plaisir route, although you still have to climb between bolts on the easier pitches. The crux is the last hard pitch, the Ringwulst, a short polished overhang graded UIAA 7- (6a+) that most parties climb at A0 on the bolts; a sling to stand in helps. It is a full alpine day: most parties stay at the Hofpürglhütte.
No topo we can show. See: Hofpürglhütte – Kletterführer Gosaukamm (2016).
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Bolts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 3 | 40 m | 3 bolts | Grade 3 up the grassy ramp. |
| P2 | 4cV5.6 | 15 m | 3 bolts | UIAA 4+/5-. |
| P3 | 5cVI5.9 | 40 m | 6 bolts | UIAA 6. A slab and an overhanging crack. |
| P4 | 4cV5.6 | 15 m | 3 bolts | UIAA 4+, past the small tower (Türmchen). |
| P5 | 5c+VI/VI+5.9+ | 15 m | – | UIAA 6/6+. A layback (Piaz) section. |
| P6 | 5cVI5.9 | 25 m | 5 bolts | UIAA 6. Overhanging corner. |
| P7 | 4cV5.6 | 40 m | 5 bolts | UIAA 4+/5-. A fine corner. |
| P8 | 5aV+5.7 | 35 m | – | UIAA 5/5+, to the small grass ledge (Rasenplätzchen). |
| P9 | 6aVI+5.10a | 35 m | 5 bolts | UIAA 6+. The slab pitch (Plattenstelle). |
| P10 | 6a+VII-5.10b | 30 m | 4 bolts | UIAA 7-. 'Open crack'. |
| P11 | 5bVI-5.8 | 40 m | – | UIAA 5+/6-. An intermediate belay is possible. |
| P12 | 6a+VII-5.10b | 10 m | 4 bolts | UIAA 7-, or 6 A0. The Ringwulst: a short, polished overhang, the crux. Bolts and old pegs; most parties pull through at A0 and a sling to stand in helps. |
| P13 | 5aV+5.7 | 20 m | 3 bolts | UIAA 5/5+. |
| P14 | 4cV5.6 | 15 m | 1 bolts | UIAA 4+, to the summit. |
Drive to Filzmoos (Salzburg), then up the Mandling valley and over the Marchegg saddle on the toll road to the Aualm, where the road ends at the Hofpürglhütte goods lift; park there. One party advises parking before the toll gate and cycling, since cars can only go a short way past the next barrier. From the Aualm the Hofpürglhütte (1703 m) is about an hour on foot; from Filzmoos allow 1.75 hours. From the north, the Gosausee car park at the Gosaukammbahn valley station is the alternative start, 2.5 to 3.5 hours to the route.
From the Hofpürglhütte follow the marked path up to the Steiglpass (2012 m, about 45 min). Leave the path here and go left (north-west) on cairns and faint tracks, rising about 100 m in a traverse over a shoulder on the east ridge of the Armkarwand (about point 2145), then descend north into the Unteres Armkar and cross to the foot of the Däumling's south face; about 1 to 1.5 hours from the hut. From the Gosausee the Steiglweg via the Scharwandalm leads to a memorial plaque at about 1700 m in about 1.75 hours, then about 30 min off-path to the north-west. To start, traverse the south face on a path towards the east edge; the route begins down and to the right on an easy grassy ramp rising right, with the first bolt visible. The original start is somewhat loose; the direct start (K. Hoi, 1982) is an alternative.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Aualm car park at the end of the toll road from Filzmoos (bergsteigen.com marker)
Point from camptocamp summit waypoint 666718 (Däumling); bergsteigen.com approximate start marker 47.5026, 13.52 is about 220 m away
Contains the route point and parking.
Points from published sources, not surveyed.
Coordinates: 47.50148, 13.51735 (crag) · Parking: 47.47490, 13.51420
From the summit (2322 m) go down south-west on faint tracks over broken ground towards the top of the south edge, where the marked abseil line starts (red paint marks lead to the first anchor). The line follows the south pillar in about 7 abseils of up to 40 m on glued-in or concreted rings; the first is short (about 20 to 25 m) and you land at the foot of the face a little above the start. A 2015 party who carried on past the first anchor ran out of rope in mid-air and finished down Blue Velvet's cramped belays, so stop at the short first anchor. The allgaeu-plaisir party had their ropes snag repeatedly on this line and recommends abseiling instead down Da Hausa Lehra, the bolted sport route left of the east edge (as you face it), which has big rings at the belays; the hut topo also says it can be abseiled. With 50 m double ropes you can often skip a belay; otherwise a 60 m single rope is needed. The old line down the south chimneys is not recommended. Allow about 45 minutes, then reverse the approach to the hut.
Bail with caveats
No source describes retreating from part-way up the Ostkante itself. Its belays are bolted, and the fully bolted Da Hausa Lehra runs close by with big abseil rings and is reported abseilable, so retreat by abseil should be possible from the lower and middle sections. The route traverses at times, so a straight abseil down your own line may not work; double ropes make it easier.
12 to 16 quickdraws (sources vary: hut topo 10, allgaeu-plaisir 12, bergsteigen.com 16), double ropes (2×50 m or 2×60 m; the hut topo also allows a 60 m single rope for the abseils), slings, a sling to stand in for the Ringwulst, abseil kit and a helmet. Recent parties climbed without nuts or cams; the hut topo still lists a set of nuts, and some leaders carry a few for the easier, more spaced pitches.
Start at about 1900 m, summit 2322 m, east-facing pillar. The sun leaves the face in the afternoon and it can get cold higher up (September 2021); in midsummer it can be hot in the morning. A summer and early-autumn route; check hut opening and the weather, and avoid it with storms forecast, since you are a long way from the hut. Allow about 4 to 5 hours on the route; a 2015 party left the hut at 5:30, started at 7:30, topped out at about 12:30 and was back at 16:00.
Forecast · next 7 days · 2322 m
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| Low °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rain mm | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
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Model forecast for 2322 m. It cannot tell you whether the rock is dry. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Time plan · 14 pitches
Working out sunrise and sunset.
An estimate. Queues and route finding cost time, and shaded walls go dark before sunset. Local time (Central European time), flat horizon.
Sun on the wall · E-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
From the aspect alone; terrain is ignored. Local time, 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −7 | −6 | −3 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 4 | −2 | −7 |
| Mean daily low °C | −16 | −15 | −11 | −8 | −4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −1 | −5 | −10 | −15 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 2211 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
No reports yet.
Around 6a+ · about 14 pitches
Italy · Aosta Valley
A very long slab route on excellent rough gneiss at the mouth of the Champorcher valley: fifteen pitches, most of them 5c, several close to 50 m. The one steep passage is a roof on pitch 3 that almost everyone aids on the bolts (6b+ free). A band of trees splits the route in two, and the upper half is the more attractive.
6a+VII-5.10b15 pitches600 m
Spain · Aragonese Pyrenees (Tena & Canfranc valleys)
Fifteen pitches up a broken granite wall that nobody had climbed on before 2023, probably the longest bolted route at Panticosa. Corners, steps and slabs at around 5b, cut by ledges and terraces, with isolated moves of 6a and a 6a+ corner on the last pitch that are not obligatory. Sun from first thing. The length is the attraction; repeat parties find the climbing pleasant but discontinuous.
6a+VII-5.10b15 pitches550 m
Austria · Inntal (Haiming Geierwand)
The longest route on the Geierwand and its most popular easy outing: rough slabs low down, a walk across the big ledge, then steeper, pocketed and more exposed climbing above. The crux is a short traverse to the belay on pitch 10. The last two pitches are scrambling over loose ground.
6a+VII-5.10b12 pitches430 m
Germany · Ammergauer Alpen
The longest route on the Säuling: sixteen pitches up the west face to the summit cross, above Neuschwanstein and the lakes of the Allgäu. The lower part links pillars, traverses and some broken ground at UIAA 3 to 6+; the headwall is steep and compact, with a short aid passage and fine corners. Generously bolted, so a weaker second still has a good day.
6a+VII-5.10b16 pitches360 m
Compiled from published sources, last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.