Multipitch Atlas

Tröimli

Pfriendler – south face (Steingletscher) · Susten · Switzerland

Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high

The direct line up the whole Pfriendler pillar, from its lowest point to the summit with barely a zigzag. Sustained 5b on steep, solid gneiss full of rounded jugs: a slab and corner, a physical crack-corner, a roof turned on the right and a fine chimney-corner. A step up from Via Fritz and less crowded.

The south pillar of the Pfriendler from below; Tröimli climbs it from the lowest point to the topPhoto: Patrick Vuilleumier · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Photo

The south pillar of the Pfriendler from below; Tröimli climbs it from the lowest point to the topPhoto: Patrick Vuilleumier · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Hardest pitch
5b+
Pitches
7
Length
230 m
Approach
50 min
Aspect
S
South-facing
Rope
2×50 m

The route

Overview

Tröimli takes the full height of the triangular Pfriendler pillar above the Susten Pass road in seven real pitches. The climbing is homogeneous at around 5b, steep but on excellent holds, and the third pitch (a vertical crack-corner followed by a wall of rounded jugs) is the one everybody remembers. It is bolted, with the bolts further apart on the easier ground, so a leader needs a small margin. Seconds have an easy time: there are no awkward traverses.

The climbing

Pitch by pitch

PitchGradeNotes
P15b+A slab on good holds, then cross leftwards through the small corner in the middle of the face. The belay is on the right at the exit. One delicate passage.
P25bCross the grassy gully to the right, then climb a series of steps trending left. Belay just above the good ledge after a short step on the left; a 2026 party went wrong here and belayed on the awkward stance of the route to the right.
P35b+A vertical, physical crack-corner, then a superb section on big rounded holds. The best pitch.
P45b+Traverse below the overhang and pass it on the right with a few more strenuous moves.
P55bReach the obvious chimney-corner and climb it, then the short wall on the left at the exit on positive holds.
P64cEasier ground to the flat area below the summit.
P74aTo the summit. Pitches 6 and 7 link easily, though communication then becomes difficult. From the sixth belay a short two-bolt facet on the left (about 5b) is an alternative finish.

Getting there

Approach

To the parking

The Pfriendler stands above the Susten Pass road on the Bernese side, above Steingletscher. Drive from Innertkirchen through Gadmen or from Wassen over the pass. Coming from Innertkirchen, pass the Hotel Steingletscher, go round the hairpin and through the short tunnel with the Wysse Bach waterfall running over it, then park on the left by the 25 km marker stone before the next gallery. The lay-by is small and fills early on fine weekends (full by 09:30 in one 2019 report). A seasonal postbus from Meiringen reaches Steingletscher; one 2021 party arrived at 09:44 and had a single afternoon bus back at 17:20, so check the timetable.

On foot · about 50 min

From the 25 km lay-by a cairned path with blue paint marks climbs north to the pillar, which is easy to pick out from below. It is clear at first, fades where it crosses a boulder field, then reappears higher up and reaches the foot of the wall at about 2340 m. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour from the lay-by. From Steingletscher (public transport) take the hiking trail north, turn left at the fork, cross the pass road and join the same path; the SAC portal gives 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 for the approach and grades it T3. Tröimli starts almost at the lowest point of the face. Its hangers are not painted, unlike several neighbours, and in June a snow patch at the base can cover the name; you can usually pass between the snow and the rock.

Map of the walk-in

  • Crag
  • Parking

Loading map

The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.

Coordinates · crag

46.73909, 8.41909

Parking

46.73089, 8.42769

Steingletscher access point (camptocamp waypoint 117538); the lay-bys used for the crags are a little further up the pass road

Point from camptocamp waypoint 376277 (Sustenpass – Pfriendler summit)

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.

Getting down

Descent

Two options. Abseil: from just below the summit on the west side (about 20 m south-west along the ridge on camptocamp), two abseils of about 45 m reach the descent path, which you follow back to the foot of the wall. On foot: go down the west ridge to the notch (grade II to II+, easy but very exposed; parties belay a short pitch off spikes or move roped), then follow a well-worn but steep track down the gully, with a fixed rope at the bottom. The SAC portal grades the walk-off T4+. A September 2026 party walked off by the notch moving together on a short rope and took 45 minutes back to the foot of the route.

Retreat

Bailing off the route

Bail with caveats

SummitPost says every belay has bolts and a maillon and that the routes can be abseiled, and the SAC portal says the same of the wall. With two 50 m ropes a retreat down the line is feasible. Pitch 2 crosses a grassy gully and pitch 4 traverses under a roof, so the ropes may not run cleanly there.

Retreat from
The belays of the lower pitches, abseiling the line; near the top it is quicker to finish and use the two-abseil line or the walk-off.
Point of no return
None documented.
Carry
Two 50 m ropes and slings to link belay bolts.
Basis
Part stated, part inferredBelay hardware and the possibility of abseiling are stated by SummitPost and the SAC portal; how well the ropes run past the traverses is inferred.

Partly inferred from the route facts

Safety

Hazards

  • Bolts are about 5 m apart on the 4c to 5a sections and the moves between them are obligatory.
  • The walk-off along the west ridge is only grade II+ but exposed on both sides; belay it if in doubt. The gully path below needs a sure foot.
  • Other parties on the wall and at the summit: falling ropes and stones are possible.
  • A snow patch at the base in June can be hard; go round it against the rock.

Sun and weather

Conditions

South-facing gneiss between about 2340 m and 2514 m. The season runs from about June to October: a snow patch usually lies at the foot of the routes in June and can hide the painted names, and parties climbed in T-shirts in mid-August and comfortably in late October. The rock dries fast; one party found it dry the day after heavy rain. The pass road below is busy with motorbikes and noisy. It is a popular wall, with ten parties on it on a fine summer weekend.

Usual season · Jun to Oct

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean daily high °C−4−31381215151171−3
Mean daily low °C−10−10−7−404774−0−6−9
Rain days 1 mm or more141315151821222016141515

● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2008 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

Two 50 m ropes for the abseils and about 12 quickdraws (no source gives a count for this route; neighbouring routes list 10 to 14). Slings to link belay bolts. Helmet.

Checklist

Quickdraws
12
Rope
2×50 m
Helmet
One each
Abseil device and prusik
The descent or the retreat involves abseiling
Slings
Mentioned for retreat

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 Tröimli.

Worth knowing

Tips

  • Allow about 3 hours for the route and 45 minutes for the descent.
  • It is usually quieter than Via Fritz next door, and the two fit comfortably into one day.
  • The single-pitch Eden sector just below the Pfriendler is a good way to fill the afternoon.

Open questions

Where sources disagree

  • Length and pitches: camptocamp gives 230 m and 7 pitches; SummitPost gives 180 m and 6 pitches plus one more (4b) along the ridge to the summit.
  • Grades of pitches 5 to 7: 5b, 4c, 4a in the French camptocamp text; 4c, 4a and a 4b ridge pitch on SummitPost; the Spanish camptocamp text gives 4c for pitch 5.
  • The route name is spelled Tröimli on camptocamp and the SAC portal; one report writes Tröumli.
  • The SAC route portal entry for this route is behind a login and was not read.

Provenance

Sources

Same area

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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.