Staller Sattel – Ohrenspitze south-east wall (Antholz valley) · Bolzano & South Tyrol · Italy
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
A modern bolted route on grippy, granite-like tonalite high above the Staller Sattel road at the head of the Antholz valley. Six pitches up to 6b lead to a wooded ledge, a walk along it, and two more good pitches on steeper rock to finish. The crux is a crack system through a compact slab on pitch 3; the rest is sustained at 6a.
The route
The south-east wall below the Ohrenspitze, above the hairpins on the South Tyrol side of the Staller Sattel, has become a small centre for bolted multipitch climbing on tonalite. Opium fürs Volk takes the left edge of the wall. Its authors set out to make a line that was as easy and even as possible and well protected from bottom to top, and compare it with the local classic Genussspecht: about the same length and difficulty, but on steeper rock and with closer bolts. The start is at 2240 m, so this is a summer route in a mountain setting, with a 45 minute approach up scree and through open forest.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5b | 25 m | A short slab, then excellent rock to the belay. |
| P2 | 5a | 40 m | Easy climbing to a first ledge; the belay is on the second ledge. |
| P3 | 6b | 35 m | The crux: a marked crack system through a crisp, compact slab. |
| P4 | 6a | 28 m | A short overhang, then a traverse on small holds to a belay on a narrow ledge. |
| P5 | 6a+ | 35 m | A technical slab and a short steep step (watch for rope drag), then a balance passage and sustained climbing to the belay. |
| P6 | 6a | 20 m | Along the edge, then a single balance move. The belay is on the left, before the wood. |
| P7 | 2a | 45 m | Right through the trees, using slings on them, to a belay on a grass ledge. |
| P8 | 1 | 50 m | Walking: follow the ledge up to its highest point. |
| P9 | 6a | 40 m | Overhangs on good holds. Keep left at a niche and climb the steep wall to the belay. |
| P10 | 5b | 30 m | A last pitch on the best tonalite. |
Getting there
The Antholz (Anterselva) valley branches north from the Puster valley at Olang, east of Bruneck. Drive up the valley past the Antholzer See towards the Staller Sattel; the pass road is controlled by traffic lights. Park at the first right-hand hairpin after the small tunnel, where a forest road begins (about 1880 m). Coming from the Defereggen valley in East Tyrol, it is the third left-hand hairpin on the way down, at a nature park sign.
About 45 min. Follow the forest road for about 100 m, then climb the scree field on the right and traverse left. Keep left and follow traces of path and cairns. Once you reach the forest, keep left and climb steeply until you are in front of the wall. Follow the foot of the wall to its left edge (the route Eintagsfliege) and then descend a few metres to the start.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Parking marked on bergsteigen.com (hairpin on the Staller Sattel road)
Point from bergsteigen.com touren/klettern/opium-fuer-volk-staller-sattel
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: 46.89795, 12.18563 (route base) · Parking: 46.89180, 12.19116
Getting down
By abseil. Abseil back to the big ledge as marked on the topo, then continue down the neighbouring route Genussspecht, whose belays are all set up for abseiling, to the foot of the wall. Return by the approach path. Bergsteigen.com allows one hour for the descent.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
The normal descent is by abseil, first to the big ledge and then down Genussspecht, where every belay is set up for abseiling. Whether each belay of this route below the ledge is rigged for abseiling is not stated, so a retreat from the lower six pitches may mean leaving gear.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-east facing with the start at 2240 m. Bergsteigen.com marks May to November as possible; at this altitude the early and late months depend on snow. As on any mountain wall, plan around afternoon thunderstorms in summer. Climbing time is given as 3 h 30 min, 5 h 15 min in all.
Sun on the wall · SE-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 (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 5 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| Mean daily low °C | −5 | −3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 2 | −3 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 9 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 602 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
14 quickdraws and a few slings for the trees on pitch 7. Bergsteigen.com lists 'double rope or a 60 m rope'; because the descent is by abseil and pitches are up to 40 m, two ropes are the safer choice unless you have checked the abseil lengths on the topo. 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 Opium fürs Volk.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
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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.