Galengrat-Verschneidung | Alpine climbing

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Galenstock
Alpine climbing
- Galengrat-Verschneidung
- Lunar Impulse
Galengrat-Verschneidung

Galengrat-Verschneidung Galenstock 3586 m

Difficulty

6a (5c)
Pitches / Height Difference

11 P / 4:30 h, 330 m
Exposition / Rock Type

SW / Granite
Altitude start

2970 m

Classic route with a great finish and in an environment that's as wild as you could wish for. The decline of the glacier has made the beginning of the tour more complicated than it was when it was opened, but overall it remains feasible. While most people climb the route and then abseil it, others bring their mountain boots and crampons, and continue the ascent to the summit of the Galenstock, making a varied and complete circular tour out of it. If you approach the climb with this intention, there is another abseiling piste higher up.

Topo for Galengrat-Verschneidung © Devaux Girardin Carine

The line of Galengrat-Verschneidung (10/2011) © Simeon Christophe

A party on pitch 2. Late season. (10/2011) © Simeon Christophe

Pitch two. Early season. (08/2015) © Simeon Christophe

Start of Pitch 4 (08/2015) © Simeon Christophe

The incredible corner leading to the top. (08/2015) © Simeon Christophe

Pitch 10 in the sun. (08/2015) © Simeon Christophe

Again, the magnificent summit dihedral. (08/2015) © Simeon Christophe

Abseiling the line, looking down the corner. (08/2015) © Simeon Christophe

Something for the museum... (re-equipping in 2015) (08/2015) © Simeon Christophe

Route description

Hotel Furkablick - cliff base

From Hotel Furkablick, take the Sidelenhütte path to the top of the moraine. Cross the foot of the Sidelengletscher and climb up the left hand branch to a plateau between Gross Furkahorn and the Galenstock. At its N end, a steep slope leads into a corner and the foot of the wall. The start of the route is located in the fall line of the route's final dihedral corner, in a zone of light gray rocks, left of a half-moon in dark rock. The bergschrund can be tricky to cross at the end of the season.

Galengrat-Verschneidung

See topo. The 6th stance is shared with "Lunar Impulse" which then crosses the line.

Descent

Abseil the route or, further along the ridge, by a giant cairn, take the military abseil piste (huge metal ledges at each stance!).

Additional information

Protection: Mediocre equipped, longer runouts possible
Rope: 2x50m
Quick draws: 12
Stoppers: -
Friends: ✔
Trad Protection: + sparse placements, placing gear is difficult ++ good placements, placing in most cases possible +++ very good placements, placing gear is easy: ++
Abseiling possible: ✔
Foot Descent: -
Ski approach possible: -
Glacier equipment: -

Difficulty: Warning: With the glacier retreat, an extra pitch around 6a must be climbed to reach the original, easier start. Since this is the first pitch and it is usually climbed in the early morning shadow (Brrrrr) it feels even harder... but its not... honestly. In addition, crossing the bergschrund is sometimes tricky. The rest of the route is nicely sustained in difficulty.

Rock Type / Quality: The first six pitches are on fairly compact rock. Pitch 7 is a transitional rope length in looser rock and grassy terrain. From pitch 8 onwards, the rock takes on an increasingly red colour.

Protection / Material: Various pitons were replaced with bolts in 2015; in the lighter sections the distances are still far.

Descent: The top abseil point has been moved to avoid rope jamming (check well where the rope runs). After that, descend the line of the route until you reach stance 6. From here, abseil the line of "Lunar Impulse" (first abseil steep).