Nösslachwand, Längenfeld (Au) · Ötztal · Austria
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
The multipitch classic of the Nösslachwand and the easiest line on its west face: seven short pitches of gneiss slab beside a water streak, improving with height, with a few steep wall moves and an arête crux. Polished in places.
The route
Seven pitches of slab climbing on solid gneiss, never harder than about 5c, right next to a water streak. The climbing improves as you gain height, and the best slabs are on pitches 6 and 7. Because it is the easiest route on the wall it sees a lot of traffic and some holds are polished. Approach and descent are easy to find. The lower pitches are often damp, and bergsteigen.com says the wet patches can usually be climbed without trouble.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5a | 30 m | Slab climbing. |
| P2 | 5a | 15 m | No pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table. |
| P3 | 5b | 20 m | More slabs. |
| P4 | 5c | 30 m | One of the two hardest pitches; the crux of the route is at an arête (bergsteigen.com photo caption, exact pitch not stated). |
| P5 | 5c | 25 m | No pitch description in the free sources; the grade and length are from the Climbers Paradise table. |
| P6 | 5b | 15 m | Fine slabs. |
| P7 | 5a | 20 m | Perfect slabs to a ledge with 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, pass the sunflower stone and cross to the other side of the water streak, where the route starts at two bolts. Camptocamp mentions a fixed rope to reach the start. About 15 to 20 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: 47.10930, 10.95380 (route base) · Parking: 47.10560, 10.95314
Getting down
From the route book go right along a ledge at first, then after a step back left, so that you walk back above the exit. Follow the orange marks to the hiking path and take it back to the car park, about 30 minutes.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Every belay has two bolts and a chain and the pitches are 15 to 30 m, so abseiling belay to belay on a 60 m rope should work (inferred). No source describes a retreat, and the normal descent is on foot.
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
12 quickdraws (Climbers Paradise says 15), a 60 m single or double rope, 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 Sonnenblume.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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Around 5c+ · about 7 pitches
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Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
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Committing
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
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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.