Geierwand, Haiming · Inntal (Haiming Geierwand) · Austria
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
One of the longer and more popular lines on the Geierwand, at much the same grade as Alhambra but with rather better climbing. Well-featured slabs lead to the big ledge; above it the route continues to mid-height in the upper wall, where a few pitches are brittle but closely bolted. It ends in the middle of the wall and you abseil.
The route
Inntalsynfonie climbs the lower tier of the Geierwand on good, featured slabs, crosses the big ledge and continues up the upper wall to an abseil station at about mid-height. The climbing is mostly 5a to 5c with two 6a pitches low down and one 6a+ pitch above the ledge, which is also the most brittle. bergsteigen.com rates the moves above those of Alhambra but warns of a few loose pitches near the top. Because the route stops in the middle of the wall, abseiling is the only way down.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a | 30 m | The entry pitch, one of the two 6a pitches of the lower tier. |
| P2 | 5a | 30 m | Pleasant climbing on the lower slabs. |
| P3 | 3b | 20 m | Easy linking ground. |
| P4 | 6a | 25 m | The second 6a pitch; bergsteigen.com shows well-featured slabs in this part of the route. |
| P5 | 5a+ | 20 m | One of the last pitches before the big ledge. |
| P6 | 5c | 28 m | First pitch of the upper part, above the ledge. |
| P7 | 6a+ | 27 m | The hardest pitch (UIAA 6/6+) and also the most brittle, but very closely bolted. |
| P8 | 5c | 35 m | The longest pitch of the route. |
| P9 | 5a+ | 26 m | A brittle, vegetated traverse. |
| P10 | 5a+ | 26 m | The last pitch, to the abseil station in the middle of the wall. |
Getting there
Haiming lies in the Inn valley at the mouth of the Ötztal in Tyrol. Leave the A12 at Mötz or Ötztal, drive into Haiming and follow the 'Rafting-Center' signs. Turn right straight after the bridge over the Inn and continue past the rafting centre to the car park with the large Klettersteig board, at about 660 m. By public transport take the train to Haiming and a bus to the Innbrücke stop.
15 to 20 min. From the car park follow the Klettersteig signs towards the motorway and cross it. On the far side go a few steps left along the track to a rockfall net, then take the path uphill to the rock. The start is right of a prominent pillar and left of a cave-like hole, with the name on a small metal plate.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Car park after the rafting centre, Haiming (bergsteigen.com marker 'Parkplatz')
Point from bergsteigen.com map marker (start of route)
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: 47.26230, 10.87720 (route base) · Parking: 47.26020, 10.87830
Getting down
Abseil from the top of the route back to the big ledge. Walk along the ledge to its lower edge, taking the most worn path trace, and continue abseiling from there to the foot of the wall. bergsteigen.com describes all the abseil stations as well equipped and allows 1 h for the descent.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Abseiling is the normal descent. From the end of the route you abseil to the big ledge, walk to its lower edge and abseil on to the ground, and bergsteigen.com says the stations are all well equipped. Turning round lower down uses the same line.
Safety
Sun and weather
South facing, with the base at about 740 m and the top of the wall at about 1050 m. bergsteigen.com shows a season from March to November and Climbers Paradise calls the wall climbable almost all year, but both warn that it is very hot in summer. Spring and autumn are the best times.
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 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 4 |
| Mean daily low °C | −7 | −5 | −1 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 5 | −1 | −5 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 12 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 723 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
14 quickdraws (bergsteigen.com emphasises the number; Climbers Paradise says 15), helmet, and 2×60 m ropes or a single 70 m.
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 Inntalsynfonie.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Austria · Inntal (Haiming Geierwand)
Billed as probably the best mid-grade multipitch at the Geierwand (UIAA 6/6+, 5 obligatory). It starts with steep, juggy climbing, and the upper pitches are rough pocketed slabs. It can be combined with Alhambra's upper pitches.
6a+12 pitches345 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+12 pitches430 m
Austria · Inntal (Haiming Geierwand)
bergsteigen.com calls this the best route on the Geierwand: steep, almost always vertical pocket climbing on the left side of the wall. The hardest move comes on pitch 2, but the upper half stacks several 6b pitches one after another and tires the forearms. Recommended to climbers who are comfortable at 6b.
6b+13 pitches355 m
Austria · Inntal (Haiming Geierwand)
A two-part combination: the four-pitch Geierwandführe as a warm-up to the big ledge, then five pitches of Im Auge des Geiers straight up the central 'eye' of the upper wall on pocketed, slightly overhanging rock with fine slabs to finish. Sustained at 6b in the upper part, but a little less demanding than Nebraska.
6b+9 pitches230 m
Around 6a+ · about 10 pitches
Spain · Vega Baja (Orihuela & Callosa)
The classic of Redován: ten pitches and 300 m of steady grade 5 with three steeper pitches on red rock. The eighth pitch, a traverse right into an overhanging corner above the orange cliffs, is the one people remember. Closed from January to June for nesting eagles.
6a+10 pitches300 m
Austria · Grazer Bergland
A modern plaisir line on the south-east spur of the Röthelstein, finished in 2018 by linking three old, forgotten pitches with six newly cleaned ones. The fifth and sixth pitches are rated among the best on the Röthelstein. UIAA 6+ at the hardest, with only 5 obligatory.
6a+10 pitches315 m
Germany · Berchtesgaden & Bad Reichenhall
A long-day alpine-flavoured plaisir route on the Untersberg's summit wall. Pitches range from UIAA 5+ to 6+ (≈5b–6b), with 5+ obligatory.
6a+10 pitches250 m
Spain · Aragonese Pyrenees (Tena & Canfranc valleys)
Varied, sustained limestone of chimneys, dihedrals and compact fluted slabs high above the Tena valley. Bearded-vulture nesting closes the face from 1 Dec to 31 Jul unless lifted early, so check montanaregulada.org.
6a+10 pitches265 m
Read the cautions
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.