Treffauer – north face plinth (Schneekar) · Wilder Kaiser · Austria
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
A short alpine sport route in the Schneekar that steepens as it goes: a scrambling start, fine water runnels on rough rock, then a smooth slab into an overhang on pitch 4. The crux is UIAA 7 to 7+ and can be aided on the bolts.
The route
Via Max is on the north-side plinth of the Treffauer, 50 m left of König der Löwen. After a first pitch of scrambling come good passages on mostly rough rock with fine water runnels, and the wall gets steeper all the way up. The crux on pitch 4 is a smoother slab that runs into an overhang; bergsteigen.com grades it UIAA 7, perhaps 7+, and Climbers Paradise 7+ (about 6c), and both say it can be aided. With 6 to 6+ obligatory, it suits a party solid at 6a.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 2 | 45 m | Scrambling (UIAA 1 to 2) with two threads and, higher up, two bolts, to the right-hand belay with two bolts. Go straight up, not left to the bolts of Schneekar-Schmankerl. Some parties do it unroped. |
| P2 | 5+ | 45 m | Fine water runnels (UIAA 5+). |
| P3 | 5c+ | 35 m | UIAA 6; the ground steepens in the upper part. |
| P4 | 6c | 25 m | The crux: a smooth slab move leading into an overhang. UIAA 7 according to bergsteigen.com, 7+ according to Climbers Paradise. Well bolted and aidable. |
| P5 | 6a+ | 25 m | UIAA 6+, with a fine slab (6/6+) at the start. The last belay is on top of the left-hand pillar. |
Getting there
From Wörgl, Kufstein or St. Johann take the B178 to Scheffau, turn into the village and go right towards Gasthof Jägerwirt. Park at the pay car park Wegscheid just below the Jägerwirt (about 880 m). By public transport: KaiserJet or Postbus to "Scheffau Dorf", then about 30 min on foot.
About 2 h. From the car park climb towards the Treffauer past the Wegscheid alms, pass right of a small waterfall and go up through dwarf pine to the start of the Schneekar. Where the normal route leaves the cirque to the right you pass König der Löwen. Continue up along the rocks to a flatter spot with small boulders, the rucksack depot. From there cross the scree to the wall, at about 1700 m.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Pay car park Wegscheid below Gasthof Jägerwirt, Scheffau
Point from bergsteigen.com touren/klettern/via-max-treffauer-nordwand
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: 47.55794, 12.28054 (route base) · Parking: 47.53660, 12.26610
Getting down
Abseil the route. For the last pitch (the first you abseil) use the belay of the route Schneekar-Schmankerl, which comes up on the left, because it has an abseil ring. Then walk down the approach path: bergsteigen.com gives 1 h 15, Climbers Paradise 2 h.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is the normal descent, so you can retreat from any belay. The one quirk is at the top, where you abseil from the neighbouring route's belay because it has the ring.
Safety
Sun and weather
North to north-west facing, 1700 to 1950 m: the sun arrives only in the afternoon. Season June to October. After rain wait a dry day so the water runnels give good friction.
Sun on the wall · N-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.
Climate figures for Wilder Kaiser are not available yet
What to carry
12 quickdraws, a 60 m double rope for the abseils and a helmet (bergsteigen.com). Climbers Paradise says a 50 m double rope and 11 quickdraws. No nuts or cams.
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 Via Max.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Austria · Wilder Kaiser
Nine pitches of easy slabs and water runnels beside the Treffauer normal route, UIAA 5 at most if you take the easy variant on pitch 4. Lots of bolts and friendly ground make it one of the most popular routes in the Schneekar. The rock is not solid everywhere and the walk-in is two hours.
5a9 pitches280 m
Around 6c · about 5 pitches
Spain · Costa Blanca (Cabeçó d'Or)
Five very long pitches of old-school wall climbing: edges, flakes and water pockets where footwork counts more than strength. The 40 m fourth pitch, a steep slab beside a corner, is the highlight and the crux. Remote feeling, in the shade until early afternoon.
6c5 pitches200 m
Read the cautions
Italy · Sardinia
The harder classic on the Goloritzè spire: compact grey walls and smooth water-drop slabs at 6b to 6b+, then a 6c scoop and an airy finish to a tiny summit above the turquoise bay. Shaded, technical and on the feet.
6c4 pitches135 m
Greece · Leonidio & Kyparissi
Six sustained pitches up the red wall above Leonidio, four of them 6c. The climbing is steep and on good holds, with a 3 m boulder problem on the last pitch and a long 6a+ to start. The bolts are close enough to let you concentrate on the moves.
6c6 pitches200 m
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
Six pitches of technical wall and corner climbing one minute from the gorge-entrance guesthouses. Easy pitches alternate with three hard ones, and the 6b+ fourth pitch and the 6c last pitch are precise, footwork-heavy climbing on very rough rock. The route stops in the middle of the wall and you abseil off.
6c6 pitches160 m
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.
