Multipitch Atlas

Via Fritz

Pfriendler – south face (Steingletscher) · Susten · Switzerland

Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high

The easiest way up the Pfriendler pillar and the classic of the Susten Pass. Seven varied pitches on superb featured gneiss: a steep slab, cracks, corners, a chimney, traverses and a small overhang, finishing on the rounded summit crest. Steep for the grade but on big holds, with the Sustenhorn glaciers behind you.

The Pfriendler pillar above the Susten Pass road, seen from the approachPhoto: Sergio Ruzzenenti · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Photo

The Pfriendler pillar above the Susten Pass road, seen from the approachPhoto: Sergio Ruzzenenti · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Hardest pitch
5b+
Pitches
7
Length
215 m
Approach
50 min
Aspect
S
South-facing
Rope
2×50 m

The route

Overview

The Pfriendler is a small gneiss summit above the Susten Pass road with a steep south pillar covered in large, friendly holds. Via Fritz is its normal route and probably its oldest: a logical line up the left side of the face that takes in almost every style of climbing in seven pitches. It was rebolted in 2004 and recent parties call the protection close and the grades kind. It is extremely popular, with queues at the start on fine weekends.

The climbing

Pitch by pitch

PitchGradeNotes
P15bNo pitch-by-pitch description is published outside the guidebook topo. The first belay is shared with the neighbouring route Uswäg.
P25bThe second belay is also shared with Uswäg. A leader broke a foot in a fall just after the second bolt of this pitch in 2019.
P35aEasier climbing; a 2016 party found the bolts a little further apart here.
P45aNot described individually; parties mention flakes, jugs, short slabs, corners and cracks through the middle of the route.
P54bThe easiest pitch by grade; not described individually.
P64cNot described individually.
P75b+The last pitch to the top, finishing on a rounded, impressive but easy crest.

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. Via Fritz starts on the left part of the pillar, left of Tröimli; a number of hangers on the wall have been painted to tell the routes apart.

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 July 2024 party on this route made two 50 m abseils to the level of the third belay and walked down from there.

Retreat

Bailing off the route

Bail with caveats

The SAC portal and SummitPost both say the Pfriendler routes can be abseiled, and the belays carry bolts and a maillon. With two 50 m ropes you can retreat from the stances, but the belay bolts are not always linked and on a busy day you would be abseiling onto other parties.

Retreat from
Any belay on the lower pitches, abseiling the line; from near the top the established two-abseil line on the west side is quicker.
Point of no return
None documented. The top is close to the abseil line and the walk-off.
Carry
Two 50 m ropes and slings or cord to link belay bolts.
Basis
Part stated, part inferredAbseiling the routes is stated by the SAC portal and SummitPost and one 2024 party abseiled part-way; the practicality from each individual stance is inferred.

Partly inferred from the route facts

Safety

Hazards

  • Crowds: there can be an hour's wait at the start, and ropes and people come down on top of you. A 2019 party warns that some flakes and blocks move.
  • Bolts are further apart on the easy sections, where a fall would hit ledges.
  • The walk-off down the west ridge is easy but very exposed; a slip is not an option there or on the gully path.
  • A Rega helicopter rescue on the wall was photographed by a party in August 2017.

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 and 10 to 12 quickdraws (the SAC portal says 10, a 2019 party took 12). Slings to link the belay bolts. Nuts and cams are not needed. Helmet: several parties climb above each other.

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
Cord
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 Via Fritz.

Worth knowing

Tips

  • Start early or late: the lay-by fills and the route queues by mid-morning on fine weekends.
  • If the summit belays are crowded, use the abseil station just below the top on the west side.
  • Tröimli, just to the right, is a grade harder and makes a natural second route the same day; allow about 3 hours for each.
  • The Hotel Steingletscher and the Alpin Center have dormitories if you want an early start.

Open questions

Where sources disagree

  • Pitch count and grade: camptocamp lists 7 pitches up to 5b+ over 230 m; the SAC route portal gives 9 pitches, 215 m, 5c with 5b+ obligatory and 4 hours. The camptocamp pitch list is used for the breakdown and the SAC length for the total.
  • Quickdraws: 10 on the SAC portal, 12 in a 2019 report.
  • Summit height: 2514 m on the SAC portal, 2495 m on camptocamp.
  • Approach time: 45 minutes on camptocamp, about 1 hour in two reports, 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 on the SAC portal (which starts from Steingletscher).

Provenance

Sources

Same area

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Read the cautions

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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.