Kleine Himmelwand, Kötschachtal · Gastein (Hohe Tauern) · Austria
Read the cautionsEasy to bailBolting confidence: medium
A ten-pitch slab route on the Kleine Himmelwand next to Father and Son, mostly UIAA 6 with passages of 7 and a single move of 8- on pitch 2 that can be pulled through on a bolt. The first seven pitches are good; the source says the last three or four are not very rewarding.
Single-source record: protection is rated only 'good' (S2) with about 6a+ obligatory, and the upper pitches are said to be poor.
The route
Team Hirschwurst shares the approach, the wall and part of the abseil line with Father and Son. bergsteigen.com describes varied climbing on good rock, mainly slabs with some cracks and steeper passages. Most of it is around UIAA 6 (5c to 6a) with passages of 7 (about 6b+), and pitch 2 has one move of 8- (about 7a) that goes at A0. UIAA 6+, about 6a+, is obligatory. The page says pitches 7 to 10 are not very rewarding, so many parties will be content with the first seven.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P2 | – | Contains the hardest move of the route, UIAA 8- (about 7a), which can be climbed at A0. |
| P3 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P4 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P5 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P6 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P7 | – | Not described individually; bergsteigen.com says pitches 7 to 10 are not very rewarding. |
| P8 | – | Not described individually; bergsteigen.com says pitches 7 to 10 are not very rewarding. |
| P9 | – | Not described individually; bergsteigen.com says pitches 7 to 10 are not very rewarding. |
| P10 | – | Not described individually; bergsteigen.com says pitches 7 to 10 are not very rewarding. |
Getting there
From Bad Gastein drive into the Kötschachtal and park before the Grüner Baum hotel, at the Kötschachtal car park (about 1080 m).
About 30 min on a forest road across meadows and past the Himmelwandhütte. Continue straight on until a game feeding station appears on the left; above it carry on straight towards the waterfall and climb beside it, crossing it twice, to reach the rock at about 1200 m.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Kötschachtal car park before the Grüner Baum hotel (bergsteigen.com marker)
Point from bergsteigen.com map marker for the route (same point as Father and Son); The Topo places the Kleine Himmelwand sector about 330 m away
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: 47.12146, 13.18667 (crag) · Parking: 47.12698, 13.15736
Getting down
Abseil the route from belay to belay with 50 m double ropes. In the lower part you can also use the stations of Father and Son. bergsteigen.com allows about 1 h 35 for the descent and walk out.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is the normal descent, from belay to belay with 50 m double ropes, so you can turn round at any belay. In the lower part the stations of Father and Son can be used as well.
Safety
Sun and weather
South facing, base about 1200 m. Season April to October. In spring wait until the full-depth avalanches have come down. The wall dries relatively quickly after rain.
Sun on the wall · S-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 (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Mean daily low °C | −8 | −7 | −3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 2 | −3 | −7 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 12 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1228 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, 2×50 m ropes and a 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 Team Hirschwurst.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Austria · Gastein (Hohe Tauern)
Ten pitches of varied climbing on good rock, mostly slabs with some cracks and steeper passages. Largely UIAA 5 with a few moves of 6 and three spots of 7 that go at 6+ A0. A short walk-in and a rigged abseil line.
6b+10 pitches350 m
Austria · Gastein (Hohe Tauern)
A long, modern slab and wall route beside the waterfall on the Kleine Himmelwand, with six independent 50 m pitches before it joins the last two pitches of Father and Son. Three pitches have technical, bouldery passages at UIAA 7+ and the obligatory grade is high for the area, but the bolts are close.
6c9 pitches350 m
Around 7a · about 10 pitches
France · Cerces
The classic hard route of the Tour Termier: ten steep, technical pitches on superb compact limestone at 3000 m, a short walk from the Col du Galibier road. It is never athletic but sustained at 6a+ to 6b, with a 7a pitch and a 6c move that both go at 6a A0. Cold, wind and thin footwork make it feel bigger than the numbers.
7a10 pitches320 m
France · Bavella
A sampler of everything Bavella granite does: a technical 7a wall, layback and jamming cracks, an off-width, a squeeze slot behind a tree, and three pitches of pure friction slab to finish. Bolted well enough to climb on quickdraws, which is rare here. The wide pitches are awkward and bruising if you are not used to the style.
7a10 pitches300 m
Read the cautions
Italy · Aosta Valley
The hard route at the far left of the Paretone: two ordinary pitches, then steep walls on pitches 4 and 5 that are less slabby than the neighbours. Pitch 6 follows the arete at 7a, or 6a+ with a strenuous few metres of aid. Harder than the board at the car park suggests.
7a10 pitches250 m
Spain · Costa Blanca (Peñón de Ifach)
Nine steep pitches up the wildly sculpted right side of the south face, overhanging almost throughout. Two long 7a pitches open the route and a third comes near the top, and even the 6a+ pitches are athletic. The rock is covered in holds and much less polished than the classics to the left.
7a9 pitches310 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.
