Buchstein south face · Tegernsee Alps (Buchstein) · Germany
The popular moderate classic of the Buchstein south face: a crack and corner line up the centre of the wall, almost to the summit. Short pitches of grippy limestone with one harder move on the third pitch, all on close bolts, then an easy finish to the top.
5c+VI/VI+5.9+5 pitches · 180 mBail with caveats
Südwand Schmankerl takes the obvious crack and corner system in the central part of the Buchstein south face and finishes just below the summit. It is almost identical to the South Corner climbed in 1935, which was cleaned and bolted in 2005, and is now one of the most popular routes in the Tegernsee mountains because it is one of the few long, moderate lines on the wall. The climbing is mostly UIAA 5 to 5+ with a single short crux of UIAA 6- (5c+) on the third pitch. Bolts are close, and every source says you need only quickdraws. Expect queues on fine weekends.
No topo we can show; see the sources.
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5aV+5.7 | Start from the grass at the foot of the crack, above the name plate. UIAA 5. |
| P2 | 5bVI-5.8 | A fine layback crack. UIAA 5+. |
| P3 | 5c+VI/VI+5.9+ | Chimney-like climbing with the crux near the top of the crack, very well bolted. When the bolts stop in line, move left towards the big tree; the belay is near it. UIAA 6-. |
| P4 | 5aV+5.7 | Straight up on big holds. The only part that departs from the 1935 line. UIAA 5. A harder exit variant on the left goes at UIAA 7-. |
| P5 | 2 | Easy ground up the exit gully to the top, close to the summit. UIAA 2; earthy and slippery when wet. |
Drive to Kreuth in the Tegernsee valley and continue south towards the Achen pass to just before Bayerwald, where the large paid hikers' car park 'Ross- und Buchstein' is on the left (5 EUR reported in 2021; bring coins). From the A12 Inn valley motorway leave at Wiesing and go over the Achen pass. Buses run from Wildbad Kreuth and from Wiesing. Alternatively ride a mountain bike from the Schwarztennalm car park or from Fleck near Lenggries.
About 1.5 hours on foot from the Bayerwald car park, past the Sonnbergalm to a prominent boulder, then a short way up the cabled path towards the Tegernseer Hütte. At a hairpin turn right on a path to a small hut and follow it to the foot of the cliffs. In the high right-hand part of the wall a grass ledge leads up to the start, which is marked with a metal name plate. The route shares its first bolt with 'Mann oder Memme' (marked 'MoM') and then branches right into the crack and corner. With a bike from the Schwarztennalm you can ride to or just short of the Sonnbergalm.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Paid hikers' car park 'Ross- und Buchstein' near Bayerwald (bergsteigen.com marker)
Point from camptocamp summit waypoint 271574 (Buchstein); bergsteigen.com start marker 47.6325, 11.6793 is about 100 m away
Contains the route point and parking.
Points from published sources, not surveyed.
Coordinates: 47.63333, 11.68000 (crag) · Parking: 47.61550, 11.67670
From the top of the route go to the summit area and descend west on the normal route to the Tegernseer Hütte (climbing passages up to grade 2, exposed just before the hut). From the hut take the short cabled path back down to the foot of the wall and reverse the approach. About 1 h 15 min. Abseiling the route is possible but bergsteigen.com calls it sensible only in an emergency, and with snow lingering on the upper path the descent is awkward (April 2013 report).
Bail with caveats
bergsteigen.com says you can abseil the route, but only as an emergency option; the normal way down is the walk-off. The pitches are short, so a single 60 m rope should reach between belays, but no source confirms how the belays are rigged.
12 quickdraws, a single 60 m rope (or double ropes), a sling and a helmet. No nuts or cams.
South-facing, start at about 1400 m, top at about 1700 m. Best in spring and autumn; on fine winter days it is often climbable too. After heavy rain wait about two days for the earthy exit gully to dry. Snow can linger on the upper approach and on the descent path into spring.
Forecast · next 7 days · 1700 m
Loading the forecast.
| Measure | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Low °C | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rain mm | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chance of rain % | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Strongest gusts km/h | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Model forecast for 1700 m. It cannot tell you whether the rock is dry. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Time plan · 5 pitches
Working out sunrise and sunset.
An estimate. Queues and route finding cost time, and shaded walls go dark before sunset. Local time (Central European time), flat horizon.
Sun on the wall · S-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
From the aspect alone; terrain is ignored. Local time, 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −3 | −1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 3 | −2 |
| Mean daily low °C | −12 | −11 | −8 | −5 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | −1 | −6 | −10 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 1565 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Straight-line distances, up to 30 km.
No reports yet.
Germany · Tegernsee Alps (Buchstein)
Steep slab climbing from pocket to pocket on the right-hand side of the Buchstein south face, just right of Schmankerl. One short UIAA 7- crux at the start of the second pitch, well bolted, then the climbing eases to UIAA 6 and 5 towards the top, finishing just below the summit.
6bVII5.10c5 pitches140 m
Read the cautions
Around 5c+ · about 5 pitches
France · Bavella
An easy friction-slab route up the south arête of a small granite tooth above the Purcaraccia cascades: a slab and corner, a walk, then two pitches of clean, airy slab climbed mostly on your feet, and a scramble to a summit with a huge view. Parties find the grades generous. The approach is a long, beautiful walk past the pools, with a rougher finish through maquis.
5c+VI/VI+5.9+5 pitches130 m
Read the cautions
France · Gorges de la Jonte
A recent five-pitch route with unusually generous bolting for the Jonte. A long, fairly vertical 5c+ wall is followed by a traverse, a gully and an optional squeeze through a horizontal slot to a belay in a cave. Shaded in the morning and again from mid-afternoon.
5c+VI/VI+5.9+5 pitches110 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+VI/VI+5.9+5 pitches150 m
Switzerland · Glarus (Brüggler)
Five pitches beside the big corner below the summit, topping out right at the Brüggler's summit cross. The first pitch is the 5c+ crux and the last has a single 5c move; the middle is easier and not very sustained, with a short vegetated traverse.
5c+VI/VI+5.9+5 pitches200 m
Committing
Compiled from published sources, last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.