Martinswand – Vorbau (Zirl) · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette) · Austria
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
Easy slab climbing straight up the plate zone below the 'Ostrisswald' on the Martinswand plinth, broken by a few ledges. Mostly UIAA 4 to 5, with an overhang on pitch 2 and the 6a crux on the long last pitch.
The route
A popular plinth route that mixes pleasant limestone slabs with a few ledgy, broken sections. Most of it is easy, but the second pitch has an overhang and the final 40 m pitch carries the 6a crux, so it is a step up from Rucola next door. It can be extended by Maxl's Krone (6a+, five pitches) on the wall above for a full day. The route is south-facing and ten to twenty minutes from the car.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 4c | 25 m | No pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table. |
| P2 | 5c | 30 m | Includes an overhang (bergsteigen.com photo caption). |
| P3 | 4b | 30 m | No pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table. |
| P4 | 4c | 25 m | No pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table. |
| P5 | 4a | 35 m | No pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table. |
| P6 | 6a | 40 m | The crux pitch (UIAA 6+ on bergsteigen.com). From the last belay go up right to a fixed rope and on to the shared descent. |
Getting there
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.
From P1 walk towards the Alpenverein climbing garden as far as the toilet block, pass it heading towards Zirl and follow the path gently uphill until you are close to the wall. Take the track to a scree gully, cross it (passing the start of Flying Grass) and continue along the wall. Where the track touches the slab wall, before it drops away again, scramble straight up the broken plinth to the belay bolts at the start. About 20 minutes.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
P1, Alpenverein climbing garden car park below the Martinswand (bergsteigen.com map marker)
Point from bergsteigen.com map marker (route start, approximate)
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: 47.26791, 11.27689 (route base) · Parking: 47.26670, 11.28090
Getting down
Walk off: from the last belay go up right to a fixed rope, then follow the lightly marked ledges right (grade 1 to 2 scrambling) to the Martinswand descent path, about 45 minutes. Alternatively abseil the route: 7 × 35 m, or with 50 m double ropes. On two pitches you have to swing or walk along a ledge to reach the belay, and on the traversing pitches it helps to clip a bolt or two on the way down.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
bergsteigen.com describes abseiling the route as an alternative descent: seven abseils of 35 m, or fewer with 50 m double ropes. Two of the abseils need a swing or a walk along a ledge to reach the belay, and the traverses are awkward. Stonefall is a risk if other parties are on the route.
Safety
Sun and weather
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).
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 | −7 | −5 | −2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 5 | −2 | −6 |
| Mean daily low °C | −17 | −15 | −11 | −8 | −3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −1 | −5 | −11 | −15 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
● 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
11 quickdraws, a 50 m single rope, helmet. For abseiling take 50 m double ropes (or accept seven short abseils). Approach shoes for the walk-off.
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 Kaiser Max Spätlese.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
A plaisir line straight above Innsbruck, reached by cable car. Two pitches are UIAA 6-/6 (5+/A0) and the rest is mostly grade 4–5. The upper pitches are grassy, so avoid it when wet.
6a9 pitches300 m
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
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.
5b5 pitches135 m
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
A popular plaisir route up the slabs of the Martinswand plinth: seven pitches, mostly UIAA 4, with only about three harder metres in a short steep corner on pitch 5. Often combined with a route on the wall above.
5c7 pitches225 m
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
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.
6a+6 pitches150 m
Around 6a · about 6 pitches
Croatia · Omiš
Omiš's signature moderate: long, slabby pitches on knobbly grey limestone with big views over the Cetina mouth and the Adriatic. The crux is a short crack on the final pitch.
6a6 pitches230 m
Germany · Berchtesgaden & Bad Reichenhall
Six pitches on excellent grippy limestone with views to the Watzmann, established 2012. Pitch grades are converted from the UIAA topo (6-, 6, 6, 5+, 5+, 6); 5 is obligatory.
6a6 pitches165 m
Spain · Mallorca (Sa Gubia)
A steady 6a sport line, the first bolt line right of the open-book corner on the Bomberos wall. A harder P2 variation ('Sonrisa Vertical') is available.
6a6 pitches152 m
Spain · Collegats
The friendly long route of Collegats: steep but juggy grey conglomerate above the Barranc de Sant Pere, with close bolts. It starts by squeezing between the wall and a leaning 50 m pinnacle, and saves its best for a sustained 40 m 6a wall at the top. A short garden pitch breaks the line before the finish.
6a6 pitches205 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.
