Switzerland · Gastlosen
Salü Jan
One of the busiest routes in the Gastlosen: homogeneous, technical climbing on beautiful fluted slabs (cannelures) that dry fast. The top third is broken by grassy ledges.
6a12 pitches380 m
L'avenue des chamois
Motteux Péteux (south side, beside the Dent de Ruth) · Gastlosen · Switzerland
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
A long, easy and very well bolted route up low-angle runnelled limestone slabs to point 2105 m on the ridge between the Dent de Ruth and the Dent de Savigny. Only pitches 2 and 3 steepen. The belays are on comfortable grass ledges and it is the only line on the face, so you cannot get lost.
- Hardest pitch
- 5a
- Pitches
- 10
- Length
- 300 m
- Approach
- 75 min
- Aspect
- S
- South-facing
- Rope
- 1×60 m
The route
Overview
L'avenue des chamois is the easy long route of the southern Gastlosen: ten pitches, mostly 4b to 4c with one of 5a, on the slabs right of the Dent de Ruth's Diehl pillar. It finishes at the Motteux Péteux (2105 m), not on the Dent de Ruth itself. The rock is solid, the line traverses a fair amount, and the bolting is so generous that recent parties skipped bolts. A newer lower start adds two harder pitches. The climbing is the simple part; choose your descent with care.
The climbing
Pitch by pitch
3c4c5a4c4c4b4c4c4c2c
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 3c | The original first pitch, reached by a little path. Low-angle runnelled slab. |
| P2 | 4c | One of the two steeper pitches. |
| P3 | 5a | The other steeper pitch and the hardest of the original route. |
| P4 | 4c | Runnelled slab. |
| P5 | 4c | Runnelled slab; seeps can leave parts wet after rain. |
| P6 | 4b | Slab. |
| P7 | 4c | Slab and runnels. |
| P8 | 4c | Slab and runnels. |
| P9 | 4c | Slab and runnels. |
| P10 | 2c | Easy ground to the top at point 2105 m. |
Getting there
Approach
To the parking
Drive to the Col du Mittelberg (1633 m), either from Jaun via the Abländschen road or from Saanen, and park there. The Jaun to Saanen bus stops at Mittelberg from May to October (daily in school holidays, otherwise weekends), and a 2026 party used it. The Grubenberg hut is 20 minutes above the car park.
On foot · about 75 min
From Mittelberg follow the path to the Grubenberg hut, then go up the small valley between the Amelier and the Husegg towards the col between the Amelier and the Dent de Ruth. Cross the col, descend to the foot of the Diehl pillar and cross the gully known as the Canapé de Ruth. A faint path across the scree leads to the start, on a ledge; camptocamp places it below a small hut tucked into the rock, which a 2024 party never saw. The original start is reached by a short path above the lowest rocks. Allow 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Map of the walk-in
- Crag
- Parking
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
46.54664, 7.25733
Col du Mittelberg (camptocamp waypoint 110084)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 531111 (Motteux Péteux, point 2105 m, the top of the route)
For your phone or watch
Download GPX
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: 46.55233, 7.23340 (crag) · Parking: 46.54664, 7.25733
Getting down
Descent
Three options. (1) Abseil, the choice recommended by recent parties: the first anchor is just behind the cairn at the top, slightly below the ridge on the Dent de Ruth side, with small red arrows. Nine abseils of about 30 m, with a fixed rope at the bottom of the third, follow a marked line back to the foot of the route; the first ones are low-angle and broken by ledges and vegetation. Allow up to 2 hours 30 minutes. (2) Over the Dent de Ruth: follow the ridge (one rock step with four bolts), climb a grade II gully with six bolts to the east summit, then descend the south side on fixed ropes and cables to the col you crossed in the morning; about 45 minutes to the summit and 1 hour 30 minutes from there to Mittelberg, exposed T5 ground that must be dry. (3) On foot down a steep grass gully near the top and a final 15 to 20 m abseil from old cord: parties in 2024 and 2026 found it steep, slippery and unpleasant and advise against it.
Retreat
Bailing off the route
Bail with caveats
The belays are cabled or chained and the route is never steep, so abseiling from part-way up is feasible. The marked abseil line starts from the top and is not always the line of ascent, and the route traverses a good deal, so a retreat from mid-route means abseiling diagonally over ledges and vegetation where ropes snag.
- Retreat from
- Any belay; the lower pitches are the most direct.
- Point of no return
- None stated. High on the route it is quicker to top out and take the marked abseil line.
- Carry
- A 60 m rope gives 30 m abseils, which matches the marked line; pitch lengths are not published, so two ropes give more margin for a mid-route retreat.
- Basis
- Part stated, part inferredBelay equipment and the abseil line from the top are stated in camptocamp and trip reports; retreat from mid-route is inferred.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Hazards
- The descent over the Dent de Ruth is very exposed if the ground is greasy or wet (T5, no fall allowed), even with the fixed ropes and cable.
- The direct foot descent is steep and slippery and ends in an abseil from ageing cord.
- The upper abseils are low-angle and catch on ledges and vegetation; one diagonal abseil is prone to jamming.
- Camptocamp describes the fixed rope below the third abseil as rotten; a 2025 party found fixed ropes in good condition there. Check before you weight it.
Sun and weather
Conditions
South facing, from roughly 1800 m to 2105 m. Parties climb it from late May to early November. Seeps wet parts of the slabs after rain. The top is exposed to wind and to afternoon thunderstorms, and both foot descents need dry ground.
Usual season · Jun to Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Sun on the wall · S-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
- January: not yet worked out
- February: not yet worked out
- March: not yet worked out
- April: not yet worked out
- May: not yet worked out
- June (usual season): not yet worked out
- July (usual season): not yet worked out
- August (usual season): not yet worked out
- September (usual season): not yet worked out
- October (usual season): not yet worked out
- November: not yet worked out
- December: not yet worked out
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 (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −3 | −2 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 2 | −2 |
| Mean daily low °C | −11 | −10 | −7 | −5 | −1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | −1 | −6 | −10 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 14 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1766 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
Gear
12 quickdraws and one 60 m rope for the abseils (a 40 m rope is enough if you go over the Dent de Ruth). With 2×60 m you can join some abseils. Cams and nuts are not needed. Helmet.
Checklist
- Quickdraws
- 12
- Rope
- 1×60 m
- Helmet
- One each
- Abseil device and prusik
- The descent or the retreat involves abseiling
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports
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 L'avenue des chamois.
Worth knowing
Tips
- Allow about 3 hours for the ten pitches; slower parties take 4 to 5.
- The new lower start, close to the path with all-new bolts, adds two pitches of about 5a to 5b and a short abseil designed as abseil practice; a 2025 party found them clearly harder than the rest and counted 12 pitches in all.
- The route can be climbed in mountain boots, which jam well in the runnels.
- Several 2026 parties thought the grades a little low and suggest 4c to 5b.
Open questions
Where sources disagree
- Lower start: camptocamp describes three extra pitches; a 2025 party found two.
- Grades: 5a maximum on camptocamp; 2026 parties suggest 4c to 5b, and a Wikiloc listing gives 5b.
- Fixed rope on the abseil line: 'frankly rotten' in the camptocamp text, in good condition according to a 2025 report.
- Approach: 1 hour 15 minutes on camptocamp; parties report 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.
Provenance
Sources
- Camptocamp – Motteux Péteux: L'avenue des chamoisUsed for: pitch grades, approach, three descents, gear, history
- Camptocamp – trip reports 2024–2026 (outings 1921666, 1915474, 1925794, 1801235, 1796440, 1671139)Used for: bolt spacing and condition, belays, abseil details, foot-descent warnings, lower start, timings
- Camptocamp – Mittelberg accessUsed for: road access, hut
Same area
More in Gastlosen
All routes in Gastlosen
Switzerland · Gastlosen
Hallo Marco
Six pitches of water-worn runnels and compact slab on the south face of the Pfadflue, ending on a ledge at mid-height. Pitch 4 pulls over a small overhang and pitch 5 is a delicate, holdless friction slab. You can carry on up the last five pitches of Salü Jan to the summit.
6a6 pitches250 m
Switzerland · Gastlosen
Toto le héros
One of the best routes at 6a to 6b in the Gastlosen: eight varied pitches of pocketed slab, short walls, pillars and water-drop rock on the south-east face of the Wandflue. The first pitch is the 6b crux and the steep, pocketed wall of pitch 7 is the highlight. A few grassy ledges link the good rock.
6b8 pitches250 m
Read the cautions
Switzerland · Gastlosen
Pappy's Turm
A modern eight-pitch plaisir route up the east side of the Gross Turm, with a summit you can scramble to from the last belay. Mostly 5a to 5c on slabs and small pillars, with one delicate 6a traverse on pitch 3 that goes at 5c+ with a pull on a bolt. Pitches 3 and 4 feel stiff for the grade.
6a8 pitches250 m
Around 5a · about 10 pitches
Similar elsewhere
Switzerland · Saas Valley
Panorama
The right-hand of the Jegihorn's three easy bolted routes and the quietest. Ten long pitches up low-angled slabs and then a steeper, airy central section on sharp flakes and edges, finishing along a short crest to the 3206 m summit. Bolts are further apart than on Alpendurst and the belays are unlinked, so it suits a leader who is steady at 4c.
5a10 pitches360 m
Read the cautionsCommitting
Switzerland · Grimsel
Foxie
The classic easy introduction to Grimsel granite: nine pitches of smooth, low-angle slab that follow a long, stair-like corner and a line of cracks, with a short steeper wall on pitch 7. Clean rock with no grass ledges, a short approach and an easy walk down.
5a9 pitches270 m
Austria · Wilder Kaiser
König der Löwen
Nine pitches of easy slabs and water runnels beside the Treffauer normal route, UIAA 5 at most if you take the easy variant on pitch 4. Lots of bolts and friendly ground make it one of the most popular routes in the Schneekar. The rock is not solid everywhere and the walk-in is two hours.
5a9 pitches280 m
Austria · Grazer Bergland
Strauchdieb
A new (2025) nine-pitch outing on the right edge of the Breite Wand that weaves between the bushes. Three spots of UIAA 5-/5, otherwise easier. Still a little earthy in places.
5a9 pitches260 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.