Trisselwand - the IVth
Wookey
Niall felt it was time to attempt the trisselwand again, 15 years
after the last disastrous attempt. Wookey 'Volunteered' as a previous
incumbent, and Andrew was mugged into coming too. Packed in advance
with trepidation and got up by 6am to omelette already made by Andrew.
Hiked in to bottom from Sattel to start by 9am. To find the start go
down a bit (30m?) after the heli-landing zone open area & just follow
obvious path. We went off up wrong scree slope & wasted half an hour
faffing. First couple of hundred metres is just scrambling up path to
start.
We decided to do 'Hoferweg' route (5) as it is in guidebook with
topo. Previous trips have done the easier 'Stügerweg' route
(3-4+). Wook led 1st couple of pitches, getting a bit lost on 2nd.
Then Andrew took over for the next couple of pitches back into the
gulley. We whizzed up there, mostly moving together. Chilly in the
shade. Had lunch at 1pm above pitch 8. We were overtaken by 3 groups
further down - 2 heading up 'seeblick' sport route & one pair going
our way. They had no gear beyond extenders - using body belay or
italian hitch for belay!, but were clearly mch better climbers than
us. Soon we were at the headwall where there really is a bench fixed
in place to look at view from.
Next bit was obviously hard so we send niall first. Turned into
proper climbing at this point. 1st pitch (#12, 4-) OK, Next really
quite tricky - a fine lead. System we used was 2 half-ropes, leader
had no sack, both seconds carried rucksacks, on easy pitches both
seconds moved together. Pitch 14 was nasty-looking overhang - not as
bad as it looked but still scary & with desperate slab back into gulley,
not designed for short-arses (drop onto tiny ledge from one handhold.
wobbly piton for pro). more gulley & a couple of slabs, now quite hot
after 3½ hours in the sun. Andrew suffering from sun but saved by
cave at stance for pitch 18.
Now quite strung out with 2 hard pitches right at the top; tired,
hot. Having the hard stuff at the end like this is really rather
unhelpful. 2 more fine leads from Niall - bloody good job we brought
him along! nasty move out from cave, and marvellously exposed climb
round overhang looking right down 800m to lake, finally gets you off
horrible cliff to marvellous views that you could have had by walking
up.
very tedious 1&quarter;hrs trog back down to well-earned beer.
Niall liked the hard bits on good rock (& really didn't like the
chossy pitches). Wook and Andrew hated those and liked the easy bits
on shitty rock. Finished at 6:10pm.
9hrs on the rock. ~13hrs total trip.
Not epic, but bloody hard work & quite scary;