Alte Westwand – an easy classic in Höllental with a great exposure

Alte Westwand is a 6-pitch route on Wachthüttelturm, graded 5- and considered a classic in the area. The most interesting part is the airy traverse on the second pitch, but there’s also some nice climbing higher up.

The rock is located opposite the Weichtalhaus hut, right by the asphalt road. For detailed directions on how to approach it, it’s best to check bergsteigen.com.

The short approach is undoubtedly an advantage, but it also has a downside in the form of noise from motorcycles passing by frequently. This somewhat spoiled the vibe during the climb. However, the route itself is worth doing if you’re looking for something well-bolted in this difficulty range.

It starts off rather uninterestingly, with a grade 3 pitch that’s a bit loose and overgrown.

But things get more interesting soon after :) The traverse over the abyss, with good holds but less-than-ideal footholds. Very well-bolted, but I’d probably still be stressed if I were leading.

The next pitch is easy terrain again. Long slings will come in handy for setting up anchors on trees. I also set up the belay on a tree because I couldn’t find anything else where it was supposed to be, i.e., at the base of the chimney.

The next two pitches go through the chimney. The first one is graded 4. The first bolt is quite high, but the terrain is easy.

The next one is graded 5-, and I was completely unprepared for how much I’d struggle on a 5. The powerful sidepull at the start of the pitch wore me out. I hung on the rope twice before figuring out how to get through that section. But I made it.

And maybe I struggled unnecessarily. Perhaps I should’ve gone up the face on the left, like my friend did, instead of forcing my way through the chimney…