Multipitch Atlas

Flying Grass

Martinswand – Vorbau (Zirl) · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette) · Austria

Bail not documentedBolting confidence: medium

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.

Aerial view over Kematen to the south face of the Martinswand, with Zirl on the left. The Vorbau routes are on the lower slabs at the right-hand (eastern) end of the wall; the line is not marked.Photo: TheTokl · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo

Aerial view over Kematen to the south face of the Martinswand, with Zirl on the left. The Vorbau routes are on the lower slabs at the right-hand (eastern) end of the wall; the line is not marked.Photo: TheTokl · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hardest pitch
6a+
Pitches
6
Length
150 m
Approach
15 min
Aspect
S
South-facing
Rope
1×50 m

The route

Overview

A popular slab route on the right-hand part of the Martinswand plinth, named after the grass that blew away while the first ascensionists excavated the line. The climbing is sustained at about 6a on four of the six pitches. The rock is good but polished, and both sources say the route is very well bolted. Beam me up Scotty starts at the same point and shares the last belay.

The climbing

Pitch by pitch

PitchGradeLengthNotes
P16a35 mNo pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table.
P24c20 mNo pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table.
P36a+25 mThe crux of the route (bergsteigen.com photo caption).
P45a25 mNo pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table.
P56a25 mNo pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table.
P66a45 mA fine finishing slab to the last belay, shared with Beam me up Scotty.

Getting there

Approach

To the parking

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.

On foot · about 15 min

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. Turn off left to a small gully and follow the track up it to the wall. The route names are faintly written on the rock. About 15 minutes.

Map of the walk-in

  • Route base
  • Parking

Loading map

The point marks the base of the route.

Coordinates · route base

47.26800, 11.27870

Parking

47.26670, 11.28090

P1, Alpenverein climbing garden car park below the Martinswand (bergsteigen.com map marker)

Point from bergsteigen.com map marker (route start, approximate)

For your phone or watch

Download GPX

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. 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.

Retreat

Bailing off the route

Bail not documented

Retreat is not documented. Sources describe only the walk-off from the top. Pitches are 20 to 45 m, so a single 50 m rope would not reach on the longer ones.

Retreat from
Not documented.
Point of no return
Not documented.
Carry
Two ropes and some maillons and cord if you want the option of abseiling (inferred from pitch lengths).
Basis
Inferred from the route factsNeither bergsteigen.com nor Climbers Paradise mentions abseiling this route or how the belays are rigged.

Partly inferred from the route facts

Safety

Hazards

  • Stonefall. There is a lot of scree above the plinth, chamois knock stones down, and in strong Föhn wind stones fall without any help. Wear a helmet from the approach onwards.
  • The walk-off crosses exposed ledges with grade 1 to 2 scrambling; it needs some alpine experience and is delicate when wet.
  • The Vorbau is popular and other parties are often above and below you.

Sun and weather

Conditions

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).

Usual season · Mar to Jun, Sep to Nov

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean daily high °C−7−5−22711131395−2−6
Mean daily low °C−17−15−11−8−3133−1−5−11−15
Rain days 1 mm or more131315162121212016141313

● 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

Gear

12 quickdraws, a 50 m single or double rope, helmet. Approach shoes for the walk-off.

Checklist

Quickdraws
12
Rope
1×50 m
Helmet
One each
Maillons or spare karabiners
To leave behind if you retreat
Cord
Mentioned for retreat

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 Flying Grass.

Worth knowing

Tips

  • The polish makes the slabs feel harder than the numbers; bergsteigen.com says the grading is on the hard side for that reason.
  • This sector is often busy. Two easy pillar routes just to the right give you something to do while you wait.
  • Allow about 2 hours.

Open questions

Where sources disagree

  • Grade: 6a+ on Climbers Paradise, UIAA 7- (6/6+ obligatory) on bergsteigen.com.
  • Length: 150 m on bergsteigen.com, 175 m on Climbers Paradise, whose pitch lengths add up to 175 m.
  • Rope: the bergsteigen.com data field says 2 × 50 m, its gear line says a 50 m single or double rope.

Provenance

Sources

Same area

More in Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)

All routes in Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
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Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)

Mit Vergnügen – avec plaisir

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6a9 pitches300 m

The Martinswand above the Inn valley near Zirl, seen from the south-west. The Vorbau routes climb the slabby plinth at the right-hand (eastern) end of the wall; the line is not marked.

Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)

Flotter Dreier

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.

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Rucola

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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.