Nösslachwand, Längenfeld (Au) · Ötztal · Austria
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: high
A varied line between Südwind and Amelie: slabs, then steep but juggy gneiss, a short, very well-bolted overhang as the crux, and a very long traversing pitch to finish.
The route
A newer route (2015) on the left side of the Nösslachwand that bergsteigen.com calls flawless. It mixes slab pitches with steep, well-featured walls. The crux is a short overhang in the middle of the wall, with one further move of UIAA 6+ and easier climbing otherwise. As described by bergsteigen.com you climb the first two pitches of Südwind and branch right at a double chain belay. The final pitch is a 40 m traverse.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 4a | 27 m | Shared with Südwind as described by bergsteigen.com. |
| P2 | 5b | 22 m | Shared with Südwind as described by bergsteigen.com, ending at a double chain belay where Schwarze Madonna takes the right-hand line. |
| P3 | 6a | 27 m | The first independent pitch. |
| P4 | 6b | 26 m | The crux: up under a roof and over a short, very well-bolted overhang (UIAA 7). It goes at A0. |
| P5 | 5c | 26 m | Looks harder than it is. |
| P6 | 5c+ | 40 m | A very long traverse to the route book. |
Getting there
Leave the A12 at the Ötztal exit and drive up the valley through Umhausen. After the village the valley narrows; where it widens again, at Au just before Längenfeld, a small sewage works with a chapel stands on the left. Park on the signed gravel car park on the bank of the Ötztaler Ache, opposite the works; do not park at the chapel or the recycling yard. By public transport, take the train to Ötztal-Bahnhof and the bus to Au (Längenfeld).
From the car park go through the cycle-path underpass to the sewage works on the other side of the road, then left on the hiking path towards Wiesle. About 50 m after a wayside shrine, at a clearing, a clear track marked by a small cairn branches right to the foot of the wall and a rock platform. Climb onto the platform and go past the sunflower stone to the start of Südwind. Climb the first two pitches of Südwind to a double chain belay and take the right-hand line. About 15 minutes.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Signed car park by the Ötztaler Ache at Au
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: 47.10950, 10.95390 (route base) · Parking: 47.10560, 10.95314
Getting down
From the route book follow the fixed rope left, then the orange dots; the steep part of the descent is also protected by a fixed rope. A path then leads left to the hiking trail and down to the valley, about 30 minutes.
Retreat
Bail not documented
Retreat is not documented; the normal descent is on foot. The lower pitches are shared with Südwind, which has chain belays, so retreating from the double chain belay should be straightforward (inferred). Above that, and especially once on the long final traverse, abseiling would be awkward.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
West to south-west facing gneiss between about 1200 and 1370 m. Climbers Paradise gives June to September as the best season. The routes sit beside a water streak, so the lower pitches are often damp: start only after a dry day. Climbers Paradise says the west-facing Roxette sector of the same wall gets the sun from about 15:00 in summer, so expect shade in the morning here too (inferred).
Sun on the wall · SW-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 | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 5 | 1 |
| Mean daily low °C | −10 | −8 | −4 | −1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 1 | −5 | −9 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 12 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1267 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
13 quickdraws (Climbers Paradise says about 15), a 60 m rope, helmet. Some longer slings help on the final traverse (inferred from the 40 m traversing pitch).
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 Schwarze Madonna.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Austria · Ötztal
The best-known long route at Nösslach: steep, well-travelled gneiss slabs low down, a zigzag through the big roof zone in the middle, and more slab to finish. Two pitches of about 6b to 6b+, the rest around 6a.
6b+7 pitches200 m
Austria · Ötztal
A mix of slabs and steep, juggy passages in the Sonnenblume sector, mostly around 5b to 5c+. The one hard move is a small roof on pitch 4 (6b+), which goes easily on aid.
6b+5 pitches170 m
Austria · Ötztal
Steep, exposed gneiss left of the Reinhard Schiestl via ferrata, finding a way between huge roofs. The cruxes are the steep slabs of pitches 5 and 6 (6c). Stiffly graded, and the abseil descent is not for everyone.
6c8 pitches195 m
Austria · Ötztal
Five pitches of juggy gneiss wall and arêtes on the left side of the Nösslachwand, finishing up a slightly overhanging corner that you bridge. Not very demanding but athletic for the grade, with the crux right at the top.
5c+5 pitches150 m
Around 6b · about 6 pitches
Spain · El Chorro
A good continuation above Nitti. Highlights are a short, thin 6b slab on P4 and a pumpy steep start to the final 6a+ pitch.
6b6 pitches138 m
Read the cautions
France · Dentelles de Montmirail
The best long outing on the Clapis south face: six pitches that start up easy slabs beside Vistemboir and then slant left across the orange ledges of the upper wall, with a horizontal crack traverse, a thin traverse on rough 'pebbledash' rock and a short, fierce 6b to finish. Technical climbing on very sculpted rock with plenty of atmosphere for a 150 m wall.
6b6 pitches150 m
France · Dévoluy
Six closely bolted pitches beside the great diagonal crack-chimney that splits the Gicons cliff, visible from the car park. Four pitches at about 5b on very grippy limestone lead to a crux where you either cross the chasm on two moves of 6b (or with the aiders in place) or climb the corner at 6a. Short, shaded until midday, and a good introduction to the Dévoluy.
6b6 pitches150 m
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
The most approachable route on the Scorpion wall. A thin 6a slab move on pitch 3 (A0 possible), then a jug-haul over a roof into a fine slab for the 6b. Some loose blocks at the top of the last pitch.
6b6 pitches150 m
Read the cautions
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.