Kleine Himmelwand, Kötschachtal · Gastein (Hohe Tauern) · Austria
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
A long, modern slab and wall route beside the waterfall on the Kleine Himmelwand, with six independent 50 m pitches before it joins the last two pitches of Father and Son. Three pitches have technical, bouldery passages at UIAA 7+ and the obligatory grade is high for the area, but the bolts are close.
The route
JKF Happiness is the right-hand line on the Kleine Himmelwand, starting just left of the waterfall. It was bolted in 2021 by a Czech team and climbs long 50 m pitches of slab and technical wall, with short bouldery cruxes on pitches 2 and 3 and a sustained pitch 6 that the equippers call the prettiest. Higher up it joins Father and Son for the last two pitches and ends at a big tree. The hardest moves are UIAA 7+, which the equippers translate as 6b+, and UIAA 7- (about 6a+) is obligatory. You abseil, and you need two 60 m ropes.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Bolts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a/6a+ | 50 m | 15 bolts | UIAA 6+. A warm-up pitch with a boulder problem at the top, on the slab along the edge. |
| P2 | 6b+/6c | 50 m | 11 bolts | UIAA 7+. Two bouldery, technical moves. Use long quickdraws on the 2nd and 5th bolts. |
| P3 | 6b+/6c | 50 m | 10 bolts | UIAA 7+. A perfect ledge after about 5 m where you can refill a water bottle, then technical climbing with a fine slab in the middle of the pitch. |
| P4 | 5a | 10 m | 2 bolts | UIAA 5. A short technical wall. |
| P5 | 5c | 50 m | 8 bolts | UIAA 6-. Traverse right, then climb the black wall. |
| P6 | 6a+/6b | 50 m | 11 bolts | UIAA 7-. The best pitch according to the equippers: sustained, either technical or on big holds. |
| P7 | 6b+/6c | 30 m | 8 bolts | UIAA 7+. Listed only in the Czech description on The Topo; bergsteigen.com skips from pitch 6 to pitch 8. |
| P8 | 5c | 30 m | 9 bolts | UIAA 6-. Technical climbing, shared with Father and Son. |
| P9 | 6a+/6b | 35 m | 10 bolts | UIAA 7-. Shared with Father and Son, to the big tree where the route ends. |
Getting there
From Bad Gastein drive into the Kötschachtal and park before the Grüner Baum hotel, at the Kötschachtal car park (about 1080 m).
About 30 min. From the Grüner Baum walk the forest road to the Himmelwandhütte and continue for five more minutes to a game feeding station about 50 m left of the road. Follow the path from there to a raised hide and in a few minutes reach the start, left of the waterfall, at about 1200 m. The Topo gives 25 min from the car park.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Kötschachtal car park before the Grüner Baum hotel (bergsteigen.com marker)
Point from bergsteigen.com map marker for the route; The Topo places the Kleine Himmelwand sector at 47.123761, 13.183991, about 330 m away
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: 47.12143, 13.18667 (crag) · Parking: 47.12698, 13.15736
Getting down
Abseil the route with 2×60 m ropes. In the lower part move across to the stations of Father and Son because of the waterfall. bergsteigen.com allows about 1 h for the descent.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is the normal descent, so you can turn round at any belay. Low down you move onto the stations of Father and Son to avoid the waterfall. Two 60 m ropes are needed because five of the pitches are 50 m long.
Safety
Sun and weather
South facing, base about 1200 m. bergsteigen.com shows a season from April to October, although the description says the route can be climbed all year depending on conditions and on how much water is coming down the waterfall. In spring wait until the full-depth avalanches have come down. The wall dries relatively quickly after rain.
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 | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Mean daily low °C | −8 | −7 | −3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 2 | −3 | −7 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 12 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1228 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
15 quickdraws, including a couple of long ones for pitch 2, 2×60 m ropes and a helmet.
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 JKF Happiness.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Austria · Gastein (Hohe Tauern)
Ten pitches of varied climbing on good rock, mostly slabs with some cracks and steeper passages. Largely UIAA 5 with a few moves of 6 and three spots of 7 that go at 6+ A0. A short walk-in and a rigged abseil line.
6b+10 pitches350 m
Austria · Gastein (Hohe Tauern)
A ten-pitch slab route on the Kleine Himmelwand next to Father and Son, mostly UIAA 6 with passages of 7 and a single move of 8- on pitch 2 that can be pulled through on a bolt. The first seven pitches are good; the source says the last three or four are not very rewarding.
7a10 pitches350 m
Read the cautions
Around 6c · about 9 pitches
Italy · Sardinia
A 300 m pillar on the 'Dolomite of Sardinia': a hard, smooth first pitch in a north-facing gully, long grey slabs and walls, a demanding technical crux on pitch 6, then exposed climbing on the crest of the pillar on big sculpted holds. Mountain atmosphere with sport protection.
6c9 pitches300 m
Read the cautions
France · Vanoise (Grand Bec)
The classic hard line of the south face of the Petite Aiguille de l'Arcelin, in a high cirque above Pralognan. Nine varied pitches on good grey limestone: corners, slabs, short overhangs and a technical 6c crux pitch with at least one obligatory move of 6b. Every pitch climbs, and the descent is a small mountain trip of its own.
6c9 pitches220 m
Read the cautions
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
A wandering nine-pitch line up the left end of the big wall above Tizgui, mostly 5b to 6a with a superb steep corner on pitch 6. Well bolted but with a mountain feel: it is little travelled, the rock is very abrasive and not fully cleaned, and the belays and the walk-off take some finding.
6c9 pitches250 m
Read the cautions
Switzerland · Sanetsch
The classic introduction to the Sanetsch at 6c: eight varied pitches up a pillar of superb rough limestone, with the hard climbing packed into a few well-bolted metres on each pitch. A steep corner mantel, a balancy wall, a fine slab and an airy exit from a niche. Tops out on grassy slopes with a walk-off.
6c8 pitches250 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.
