Zwieselkopf east-facing slabs (above the Klausenalm), Ginzling · Zillertal · Austria
Read the cautionsBail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
Twelve long pitches of slab climbing up an unremarkable-looking wall near the Klausenalm, getting harder towards the top. The length, the bolting and the short approach are rare in the Eastern Alps. The price is the descent: a steep, rough scramble and four abseils that the sources call delicate.
The climbing is well bolted, but the descent is steep, delicate and badly affected by wet, and the only description is from 2012.
The route
The Jakobsweg was bolted by Fritz Amann and Bernd Neubert in August 2012 on a slab wall of the Zwieselkopf, a short way up the Zemmgrund from Gasthof Breitlahner. It is 570 m of slab climbing: UIAA 5 to 5+ for the first seven pitches, then 6- and 6 on smoother rock to the top. The pitches run to 55 m. The route itself is well protected, but bergsteigen.com says it is not for complete beginners because of the descent, which follows a steep marked line beside the route and ends with four abseils. Dampness is a problem both on the slabs and on the way down.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5a | 50 m | UIAA 5. Slabs. |
| P2 | 5+ | 55 m | UIAA 5+. |
| P3 | 5+ | 40 m | UIAA 5+. Over the first bulge. |
| P4 | 5a | 40 m | UIAA 5. Slabs after the big bulge. |
| P5 | 5+ | 55 m | UIAA 5+. |
| P6 | 5+ | 55 m | UIAA 5+. |
| P7 | 5+ | 55 m | UIAA 5+. |
| P8 | 5c | 55 m | UIAA 6-. The slabs become smoother. |
| P9 | 5c+ | 45 m | UIAA 6. |
| P10 | 5c | 50 m | UIAA 6-. |
| P11 | 5c+ | 35 m | UIAA 6. |
| P12 | 5c+ | 35 m | UIAA 6. Exit rightwards into the forest to a tree; the route book is a little lower. |
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. For this route park at Gasthof Breitlahner (1257 m).
From Gasthof Breitlahner walk towards the Berliner Hütte as far as the Klausenalm. A bridge crosses the stream on the right there. Follow the forest road on the far bank up the valley to a fork by a meadow and take the right-hand, grassed-over track to its end. From there follow the yellow dots exactly: first a little above the meadow in the forest up the valley, then rising to the right to the start at about 1450 m, where the name is written on the rock. Allow 45 minutes.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Pay car park at 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: 47.04690, 11.75320 (route base) · Parking: 47.06113, 11.75003
Getting down
From the tree go straight down steeply, following the yellow marks exactly; leaving them is dangerous. Lower down make four abseils of 25 m. The abseil piste starts in a lane through dwarf pines, which may not look logical, and the second station is hidden directly below a 3 m roof. bergsteigen.com advises lowering the first climber instead of letting them abseil. At the bottom bear slightly right to rejoin the approach path. Allow 1 h 30. A photo caption from 2012 says the first ascensionists intended to add short fixed ropes in 2013; whether that happened is not recorded.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
bergsteigen.com says you can abseil the route if you must, but only in a real emergency, because several large flakes are loose and the ropes could dislodge them. The normal way down is the marked descent beside the route from the top.
Safety
Sun and weather
East facing, start at about 1450 m. Wetness is the main problem, both for the slab climbing and for the descent: wait for a longer dry spell. A party in early October found the upper slabs wet on the second sunny day after rain. A first ascensionist's caption says you need sun cream in summer. No season is published; June to September is an estimate.
Sun on the wall · E-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 | 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
60 m double ropes, 14 quickdraws, a helmet and sturdy shoes for the descent. No nuts or cams. theCrag also gives 14 for the route.
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 Jakobsweg.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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Read the cautions
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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.
