Kirchlispitzen – seventh tower, south face (Grüscher Älpli) · Rätikon (Prättigau) · Switzerland
Typical Rätikon climbing on rough, very compact steep slabs where you trust your feet, generously bolted. The bottom two pitches are thin and technical, two grassy pitches follow, and the last four are superb.
Climbing mode: Big type, screen kept awake, tick pitches as you go.
Highest point about 2552 m above sea level (camptocamp waypoint 668008 (summit)).
7aVIII5.11d9 pitches · 280 mEasy to bail
Kamala climbs the far right side of the seventh (easternmost) Kirchlispitze, just left of the col, and gives a taste of Rätikon slab climbing without the Rätikon's reputation for bold bolting. Two thin opening pitches (6c and 7a) lead to a grassy ledge and a transitional 6a, then four excellent pitches between 6b and 6c on perfect rock finish the route. The hard moves are short.
The atlas doesn't show topos: they are the work of the people who bolt and document these routes. See the topo in Kletterführer Schweiz extrem Ost.
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6cVIII-5.11b | 30 m | A thin start where you must trust your feet; the hard section is short. |
| P2 | 7aVIII5.11d | – | Rising rightwards on a bumpy, undulating wall with very fine moves, then no further difficulty. |
| P3 | 6bVII5.10c | 25 m | Poorer rock at first, improving. |
| P4 | 2 | 35 m | A grassy ledge (walking ground). Belay straight up at a chain of galvanised steel; do not go to the stainless bolts on the right. |
| P5 | 6aVI+5.10a | 35 m | Slabby rock interrupted by grassy ledges. Gipfelbuch gives 6a+. |
| P6 | 6b+VII+5.10d | 40 m | Pillars and slabs, more exposed. Very fine. |
| P7 | 6bVII5.10c | 50 m | A steep wall of hyper-compact rock, all on the feet, finishing on fine runnels. |
| P8 | 6cVIII-5.11b | 30 m | A superb technical pitch on perfect rock. |
| P9 | 6bVII5.10c | 20 m | A homogeneous slab to finish. |
Drive from Schiers up to Grüscher Älpli (about 50 min; toll road from Schuders, CHF 10 per day). Camptocamp reports that bivouacking at the car park appears to be tolerated.
From the climbers' car park follow the track to an open area with a hut, cross the stream and take the marked path towards the face (towards the Schweizertor). Leave it when the start is clearly visible and go up about 50 m without a path to the foot of the wall. The start is about 20 m right of Sabra and 30 m left of Desù. About 30 min.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Coordinates · crag
Parking
Grüscher Älpli climbers' car park (camptocamp access waypoint 1561866)
Point from camptocamp route 1559773 geometry (seventh Kirchlispitze, right side)
Contains the route point and parking.
Points from published sources, not surveyed.
Coordinates: 47.03586, 9.77995 (crag) · Parking: 47.02184, 9.77639
Abseil the route with 2×50 m ropes: all belays have chains and rings. Or walk off on the north side via the Schweizertor.
Easy to bail
All belays have chains and rings and abseiling the route with 2×50 m ropes is a stated descent, so you can retreat from any belay.
Switzerland
1414Rega air rescue
Rega air rescue
In Valais call 144.
Position of the crag
47.03586, 9.77995
Marks the crag, not the route: give route and pitch.
Say what happened, how many are hurt, and where you are. Checked October 2026 (sourceofficial sources).
13 (camptocamp) or 14 (Gipfelbuch) quickdraws; a 50 m rope to climb, 2×50 m to abseil. Nuts and cams not needed.
South-facing at about 2250 to 2550 m. The Rätikon weather is changeable and it can be cold and windy; after rain, seepage streaks the face for days. Season July to September.
Forecast · next 7 days · 2552 m
Loading the forecast.
| Measure | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Low °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rain mm | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chance of rain % | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Strongest gusts km/h | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Model forecast for 2552 m. It cannot tell you whether the rock is dry. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Time plan · 9 pitches
Working out sunrise and sunset.
An estimate. Queues and route finding cost time, and shaded walls go dark before sunset. Local time (Central European time), flat horizon.
Sun on the wall · S-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
From the aspect alone; terrain is ignored. Local time, 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −5 | −3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 1 | −4 |
| Mean daily low °C | −14 | −13 | −9 | −6 | −2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | −3 | −9 | −14 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 1988 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Straight-line distances, up to 30 km.
No reports yet.
Around 7a · about 9 pitches
France · Baou de Saint-Jeannet
One of the best modern lines on the main face: nine pitches up a pillar left of the central depression, on overhanging stratified walls, thin slabs, a striking arête and a big flake. Sustained at 6a+ to 6c with one 7a pitch that parties find closer to 6c+, and 6b obligatory. The bolting lets you climb relaxed, but there are jammed blocks to treat gently.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d9 pitches230 m
Spain · Costa Blanca (Peñón de Ifach)
Nine steep pitches up the wildly sculpted right side of the south face, overhanging almost throughout. Two long 7a pitches open the route and a third comes near the top, and even the 6a+ pitches are athletic. The rock is covered in holds and much less polished than the classics to the left.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d9 pitches310 m
Read the cautions
France · Cerces
The classic hard route of the Tour Termier: ten steep, technical pitches on superb compact limestone at 3000 m, a short walk from the Col du Galibier road. It is never athletic but sustained at 6a+ to 6b, with a 7a pitch and a 6c move that both go at 6a A0. Cold, wind and thin footwork make it feel bigger than the numbers.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d10 pitches320 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
The famous overhanging line up the left side of the Visera, following the white chalk stripe you can see from the village. A polished, technical 7a pitch low down, then five pitches of ever steeper climbing on huge cobbles where the difficulty is staying un-pumped. Bolts are sound but spaced, and above the third belay the only practical way off is the top.
7aVIII5.11d7aVIII5.11d8 pitches250 m
Read the cautionsCommitting
Researched and aggregated by AI from published sources, last compiled October 2026. It can be wrong, and bolts, anchors and access change: check a current guidebook and read the disclaimer.