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
Pappy's Turm
Gross Turm · Gastlosen · Switzerland
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
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.
- Hardest pitch
- 6a
- Pitches
- 8
- Length
- 250 m
- Approach
- 45 min
- Aspect
- E
- East-facing
- Rope
- 2×50 m
The route
Overview
Pappy's Turm is a long plaisir route on the Gross Turm, the big tower of the Sattelspitzen group, opened in 2015 and 2016 by José Ruffieux and Bernard Cotting. It has eight pitches of 25 to 45 m, mostly around 5a to 5c, with a single 6a section on pitch 3. The bolting is modern and generous, every belay is set up for abseiling, and the easy summit is a short unprotected scramble above the last belay. It has quickly become popular, so expect company on summer weekends.
The climbing
Pitch by pitch
5b5a6a5c5b4b5c4c
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5b | A warm-up with a few good moves on a pillar; rather grassy. |
| P2 | 5a | A pleasant pitch in the same style. |
| P3 | 6a | Start to the right, then a fine slab and a thin traverse right to the belay. At the last bolt go right at the level of the bolt, not above it and not up the groove, to keep it at 6a. It goes at 5c+ with one point of aid. |
| P4 | 5c | Straight up above the bolt on a slab where you have to hunt for footholds; sustained, and several parties find it hard for 5c. |
| P5 | 5b | No detailed description; one party found it trickier than the 5c of pitch 7. |
| P6 | 4b | Alpine in character, with a grassy passage; pass between the fir trees. |
| P7 | 5c | The openers removed a large loose block here. Parties in 2025 and 2026 thought it nearer 5a. |
| P8 | 4c | Alpine in character and worthwhile mainly for the summit. The openers' topo gives 4a. A logbook box is at the belay; the summit is an easy, unbolted scramble above. |
Getting there
Approach
To the parking
The Gastlosen chain stands between Jaun (canton Fribourg) and Abländschen/Saanen (canton Bern). For the south-east side, drive from Jaun towards Abländschen and turn left at the hairpin just before the village, or come up from Saanen, to the Col du Mittelberg. Camptocamp's access notes say the road beyond Mittelberg is closed to traffic (30 min by bike or 45 min on foot to Oberi Bire), yet parties in 2025 and 2026 still report parking at Oberi Bire, so check the signs on the day. A bus links Jaun and Saanen via Mittelberg from May to October (daily in school holidays, otherwise weekends; it ran until 26 October in 2025). Camping is not allowed at the car parks; Jaun has a campsite and a camper-van area.
On foot · about 45 min
From Oberi Bire follow the rising path that runs north below the Sattelspitzen, towards the Grat. After the metal gate take the left-hand path; at the cairn turn 90 degrees left and climb the slope towards the Gross Turm. The last part is steep and wants proper shoes. The name is painted in red at the start. About 45 minutes; parties who went wrong took over an hour. A 2025 party warns that the GPS point in the Gastlosen guidebook marks Douce Revanche, 50 m further left, and that you should keep to the left-hand track.
Map of the walk-in
- Route base
- Parking
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
46.56659, 7.27179
Oberi Bire (camptocamp waypoint 113903); the road beyond Mittelberg may be closed to cars
Point from openers' topo, Swiss grid 587 161 / 158 213 converted to WGS84; about 80 m from camptocamp waypoint 815023 (Gross Turm)
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: 46.57507, 7.27115 (route base) · Parking: 46.56659, 7.27179
Getting down
Descent
Abseil the route. From belay 8 keep left. With 2×50 m ropes you can skip belays 5 and 2 according to the openers (watch the rope ends); a 2025 party found belays 8, 7, 5, 3, 1 and the ground the most logical sequence. One more abseil from the starting belay takes you down the steep approach slope if you wish. About 1 hour 15 minutes.
Retreat
Bailing off the route
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is the normal descent and all belays are rigged for it, so you can turn round at any stance with two 50 m ropes.
- Retreat from
- Any belay.
- Point of no return
- None reported.
- Carry
- 2×50 m ropes; knot the ends if you skip belays.
- Basis
- Stated in the sourcesCamptocamp, the openers' topo and a 2025 trip report all describe the abseil descent and rigged belays.
Safety
Hazards
- Earth and grass on ledges make the slab moves less secure, especially on pitches 1 and 6.
- Some hard moves are reachy; a 2025 party found several sections difficult for climbers under about 1.70 m.
- The scramble from belay 8 to the summit is not bolted.
- A popular route: parties above you on the abseil line.
Sun and weather
Conditions
East to north-east facing, from about 1900 m to the 2123 m summit, so it gets morning sun. Parties climb it from late May to late October; in mid-October 2025 the last pitch was still frozen in the morning. After rain or cattle the approach and the first pitches leave earth on your shoes, which does not help on the friction moves.
Usual season · Jun to Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Sun on the wall · E-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, a few of them extendable, and 2×50 m ropes. Helmet. No trad gear needed.
Checklist
- Quickdraws
- 12
- Rope
- 2×50 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 Pappy's Turm.
Worth knowing
Tips
- Allow 3.5 to 4 hours for the climb.
- A 2025 party cycled part of the way from Oberi Bire but found the track too muddy to save time.
- The harder neighbours on the Gross Turm, such as Douce Revanche (6b+), start just to the left.
Open questions
Where sources disagree
- Pitch 8: 4c on camptocamp, 4a on the openers' topo and according to a 2026 party.
- Pitch 7: 5c in both topos; parties in 2025 and 2026 felt it was about 5a.
- Overall range: the topo's header says 4a to 6a with 5c obligatory, and its note gives pitch 3 as 6a or 5c+ with one point of aid.
- Abseils: the openers say belays 5 and 2 can be skipped; one 2025 party describes a different line with two 50 m abseils through trees to a belay on one bolt and one peg, which is not the route's own belay chain.
Provenance
Sources
- Camptocamp – Gross Turm: Pappy's TurmUsed for: pitch grades, approach, descent, gear, openers' remarks
- grimper.ch – openers' topo of Pappy's TurmUsed for: independent pitch grades, pitch length range, approach, start coordinates, aid option on pitch 3
- Camptocamp – trip reports 2025–2026 (outings 1940085, 1929138, 1828197, 1794059, 1788275, 1776455)Used for: bolting comments, abseil sequence, timings, conditions, start-finding warning
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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.