Martinswand – Vorbau (Zirl) · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette) · Austria
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: high
One of the most popular routes on the Martinswand plinth: five short pitches of limestone slab that get better with height. The crux is a traverse right on pitch 3, hard from the first move, followed by a friction slab on pitch 4.
The route
A short, friendly slab route on the plinth below the main Martinswand, ten minutes from the car and south-facing. bergsteigen.com calls it one of the two most popular plinth routes. The climbing is mostly UIAA 4 to 5 with one harder passage, the rightward traverse on pitch 3. The route crosses Emmentaler at the first belay. Recent visitors found the grades stiff, so treat it as a 5b route with a move that can feel like 6a.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 4a | 25 m | Easy start that steepens as you climb (UIAA IV+ on camptocamp). Emmentaler crosses from the right at the belay. |
| P2 | 4b | 25 m | Straight up the corner above the belay: a vertical slab on good edges, one athletic move, then easy ground to the belay (UIAA V- on camptocamp). |
| P3 | 5b | 25 m | The crux: a traverse right, hardest in the first metres. UIAA 5+ on bergsteigen.com, 5a on Climbers Paradise, V+/6a on camptocamp. The bolts are close and it goes at A0. |
| P4 | 4c | 30 m | Easy start, then a friction slab where you have to trust your feet (UIAA V on camptocamp). bergsteigen.com suggests taking the slab on its right side. |
| P5 | 4b | 30 m | A rising traverse to start, then a succession of slabs to the last belay (UIAA V- on camptocamp). |
Getting there
Leave the A12 Inn valley motorway at Zirl-Ost and follow the road to the Kematen (Sellrain) turn-off. After the exit, pass the quarry and drive back towards Innsbruck along the foot of the Martinswand to the parking by a ramp, signed P1 (Alpenverein climbing garden, 615 m). By public transport, take the train to Innsbruck and a bus to the Martinswand/Zirl stop.
From P1 walk towards the Alpenverein climbing garden as far as the toilet block, pass it heading towards Zirl and follow the signs for 'Vorbaurouten' up the path until you are close to the wall. Turn off left to a gully, climb steeply, then follow the foot of the wall on the level to the start. The route name is on a metal plate; Emmentaler starts just to the right. About 10 to 15 minutes.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
P1, Alpenverein climbing garden car park below the Martinswand (bergsteigen.com map marker)
Point from bergsteigen.com map marker (route start, approximate)
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.
Coordinates: 47.26790, 11.27830 (route base) · Parking: 47.26670, 11.28090
Getting down
Walk off. From the top traverse right along ledges (grade 1, partly marked with paint dots) to the marked Martinswand descent path, follow it right into the forest and take the path down to the car park. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. A 2026 party describes the way as marked with red dots, a little exposed but fine with care.
Retreat
Bail not documented
No source describes abseiling this route. The pitches are 25 to 30 m, so a 60 m rope would reach from belay to belay, but the abseil hardware at the belays is not documented. A separate abseil line exists further left on the plinth (beside Rucola), which shows that descending the slabs is feasible in principle.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-facing, with the start at about 800 m. bergsteigen.com says the Vorbau routes can be climbed all year except when there is snow. The low altitude and full sun make midsummer days hot (inferred from aspect and altitude, not stated by the sources).
Sun on the wall · S-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
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.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar (usual season) | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul | Aug | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −7 | −5 | −2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 5 | −2 | −6 |
| Mean daily low °C | −17 | −15 | −11 | −8 | −3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −1 | −5 | −11 | −15 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2267 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
10 quickdraws (camptocamp says 10 to 12), a 60 m single rope, slings and screwgates for the belays, helmet. Carry your approach shoes for the walk-off.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
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 Flotter Dreier.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
A plaisir line straight above Innsbruck, reached by cable car. Two pitches are UIAA 6-/6 (5+/A0) and the rest is mostly grade 4–5. The upper pitches are grassy, so avoid it when wet.
6a9 pitches300 m
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
A popular plaisir route up the slabs of the Martinswand plinth: seven pitches, mostly UIAA 4, with only about three harder metres in a short steep corner on pitch 5. Often combined with a route on the wall above.
5c7 pitches225 m
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
Easy slab climbing straight up the plate zone below the 'Ostrisswald' on the Martinswand plinth, broken by a few ledges. Mostly UIAA 4 to 5, with an overhang on pitch 2 and the 6a crux on the long last pitch.
6a6 pitches200 m
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
The original Martinswand plinth classic: six pitches of limestone slab, well bolted but polished by traffic, so the grade feels stiff. The crux comes on pitch 3 and a fine 45 m slab finishes the route.
6a+6 pitches150 m
Around 5b · about 5 pitches
France · Dentelles de Montmirail
A short, generously bolted beginner's multipitch on the north face of the Gigondas chain: an easy corner, a fine vertical wall, a rising traverse, and then a squeeze through a natural window in the crest to finish on the sunny south side. Polished from traffic but full of character, and done in an hour or so.
5b4 pitches65 m
Spain · Montserrat
A popular first Montserrat multipitch close to the monastery. Steep pebble walls at 5b are split by easy slabs, finishing on an airy summit cap.
5b6 pitches145 m
Read the cautions
Italy · Arco & Valle del Sarca
An easy, relaxing sport route on low-angle Zebrate slabs, trending left to right to join Cane Trippa at the fifth belay. It's an excellent first multipitch. Gulliver gives UIAA III / II–III / IV / IV–IV+ for the first four pitches, converted here.
5b6 pitches240 m
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
Four pitches of even 5b, five minutes from the road. In the sun all afternoon. A good short first multipitch of a trip.
5b4 pitches125 m
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.
