Karlkopf south-west face (Breitlahnerkar), Ginzling · Zillertal · Austria
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
bergsteigen.com counts it among the best easier multipitch routes in the Zillertal and one of the few true plaisir lines there. Six pitches of featured slabs, steep walls studded with quartz crystals and fine flakes, with very little smooth rock. Three pitches reach UIAA 6-.
The route
Herzblut climbs the south-west face of the Karlkopf (1848 m), above the Breitlahnerkar and the Ewige Jagdgründe sport crag near Ginzling. Reinhold Gruber and Michl Schragl opened it from below in 2013. The climbing changes between grippy slabs, steep walls dotted with small quartz pebbles and good flakes, and the bolts are close throughout. The grade is UIAA 6-, reached on three of the six pitches. You descend by three abseils beside the route.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5+ | 35 m | UIAA 5+. Fine slabs. |
| P2 | 5a | 47 m | UIAA 5-/5. The longest pitch. |
| P3 | 5c | 35 m | UIAA 6-. Slabby, well featured rock. |
| P4 | 5c | 35 m | UIAA 6-. Starts with a crack-flake. |
| P5 | 4b | 18 m | UIAA 4/4+. A short link pitch. |
| P6 | 5c | 30 m | UIAA 6- to the route book. A crack to the right on this pitch belongs to a variant. |
Getting there
Drive up the Zillertal past Mayrhofen to Ginzling and continue up the valley to the toll station at Gasthof Breitlahner. Park either at the Breitlahner or, just before it on the right, at the Ewige Jagdgründe crag; both car parks charge a fee. By public transport take the train to Mayrhofen and the bus to Gasthof Breitlahner.
At the Ewige Jagdgründe crag cross the stream by the suspension bridge to the east bank and walk round the big rock tower called Wig Wam, where a sign points to 'Tulfer'. Cross the fence behind it on iron rungs and go up the left edge of the pasture on a clear path to the forest. Shortly afterwards you reach a T-junction: turn right and follow the path level or slightly downhill for about 300 m. Just before an avalanche track interrupts the forest, turn up left and follow steep zigzags until the Breitlahnerkar opens out; the path fades for the last 20 m of height before the cirque. Above the tree line a good path leads to the start of Herzblut. Allow 1 hour. The start is marked with a heart and the letters 'HB'; theCrag notes that the orange paint is very faded and sits a little left of and below the first bolt. The start is at about 1600 m.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Pay car park at the Ewige Jagdgründe crag, just before Gasthof Breitlahner
Point from bergsteigen.com map marker 'Einstieg (ungefähr)'
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: 47.06432, 11.76051 (route base) · Parking: 47.06615, 11.75197
Getting down
Abseil three times down the piste beside the route, as drawn on the bergsteigen.com topo, then return to the car park by the approach path. bergsteigen.com allows 45 minutes.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
The normal descent is three abseils on a piste beside the route, so the abseil stations are not all on the climbing line. The belays on the route are bolted, and Blutwurst parties are told they can leave by Herzblut, so retreat from a belay should work, but it is not described.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-west facing granite gneiss with the start at about 1600 m. The page for the neighbouring Spitfire says the sun reaches this wall at about 11:00 in summer. bergsteigen.com gives 570 m of height in all from the car park to the top. No season is published; June to October is an estimate from the altitude and aspect.
Sun on the wall · SW-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 | Apr | May | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 4 | −0 |
| Mean daily low °C | −9 | −8 | −5 | −2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 1 | −4 | −8 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 12 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1432 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
2×60 m double ropes, 12 quickdraws and a helmet. No nuts or cams.
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 Herzblut.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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France · Vanoise (Grand Bec)
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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.
