Bouldering in Engelberg
-- last change, 10th of sept. 2007
Welcome to the boulder guide to the blocks in the valley of Engelberg in Central
Switzerland. See bottom of the page on how to get there.
It is a small area with about 120 lines on more than 10 Blocks. The first Block is right
above the parking. It has some of the best lines of the area. For the other blocs you have to
walk 20 - 40 min on easy trails surrounded by glacier and mountain rivers scenery.
The difficulties of the lines are between 4a and 8b and some projects of course.
But most of the lines are beteen 5c and 7a
Best season is from october till december. Then it gets sticky as hell. Spring is sometimes
not too bad but maybe you have to dodge some avalanches. Summer is good on overcast days.
Most problems face the sun.
I gonna give you a little tour on the spot, so you get an impression what the climbing
looks like and which are in my view the best lines.
At the end you'll find a MAP with an overview of all the blocs, some thoughts about
the grading and some links contact info.
BRUENDLER (KIANA BLOC)
This bloc is right above the parking. You can spend easy the whole afternoon there.
The Kiana Bloc has the first ever developped boulder in Engelberg. It was in spring
2003 when I called Simon Wandeler to check out this bloc. We spent 5 hours until we
figured out the moves to the most obvious line on this bloc. We thought it was going
to be a 6a and felt like loosers ... Looser Line was born.
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KIANA BLOC
Character: Limestone, small crimps
Number: 6 Lines
Exposion: Never Sun
Best: Kiana 8b
Looser Line 8a
Walk: 3 min from the car parking
Pics: U L: Domi action in looser line
U R: Chris on the swing of kiana
D L: Dave ready to fly on kiana
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************* Bruendler (Kiana Bloc) *****************************************************
Alpaeroesli 6a+ The obvious arete from left to right. Slopers on
limestone to big holds
Maenteli 6a excellent mantle if you don't use the crimps
only the slopers
Montags Maler 7b+ nice jump from crimps to pocket, but contrived :(
only the jump is maybe 7a?
Looser Line 8a find out where to place your butt. this is a classic
rythm boulder, once you find it, its not too hard.
FA Simon Wandeler
Get Down 8a real SS to Looser Line. 3 more moves, but you get
better into rythm.
Kiana 8b smaller crimps and longer moves than looser line
First it seems impossible, then it seems close and
then so impossible again :)
FA Dave Gisler
Kiana (Stand) 8a There are 2 main different versions to do the last
bit. Dave Gisler does it going up with the right
Hand. Chris Jones does it crossing with the left
Hand. Both is so hard and so different :)
FA Chris Jones
Killer Kante 6b+/c Sooo friction dependent. There is a long traverse
from down the corner to it, too.
Low Traverse Proj I have no clue how
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CORNER BLOC
This was a late discovery. In summer it's a bit dense to get there. It is not far
from the Kiana Bloc. From the parking you can walk up 500m the path until you see
on your right side a bridge. The bloc is just on your left, about 10m in the bush.
What a shame i do not have a pic from that bloc. But in the pics below you
see what you see from that block.
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CORNER BLOC
Character: Gneiss, Funky Vertical
Number: 10 Lines
Exposion: No sun in the bush
Best: all
Pics:
U L: when you look east
U R: just 4 the colour
D L: when u look south
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****** Corner Block *************************************************************
Alles ist erlaubt 5c
With 6b If you use the Block of 'alles ist erlaubt'
or without you 6c without the block
Tango 5c dance left, right, left, right :)
Umarm mich 5c hug is the trick
Schnabel Kraft 6b pinch it hard
Surprise 6a surprisingly easy with the beta
the mess we're in 6b watch the rock, the tree and the lykon.
sandflies 7a find your way with both corners
proj ?
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FUCHS STEIN
The Fuchs Stein is on the other end of the area. It is just the biggest block
you can see from the restaurant Staefeli. 'Ehrlich Lump' is the first line
done on this block. It is a looong line, starting on almost roof climbing and
ending on slopey crimps. Rene and Tabea found an easy end to it which i won't
tell you. Cause I prefer my difficult original way :)
'Lieblingslaster Eitelkeit' needed 4 months to find
a beta to it. I was several times told that there is no line there, but it
turned out to be one of the most beautiful lines with the funkiest beta.
David Noden put up Effervescent Elephant which was 8a when he did it. But
when i tried it i cleand the lycon and moss away cause i just could not hold
this stuff. It is somehow easyer now ... probably 7b+ or so ... It makes
a huge difference when you brush very very slopey mossy slopers :)
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FUCHS STEIN BOULDER
Character: Gneiss, slopey and crimpy
Number: 7 climbed Lines, 3 projects
Exposion: mostly afternoon sun
Best: E. Elephant 7b+
Eitelkeit 7c+/8a
Ehrlich Lump 7b/+
Pics:
Up L: Domi on the ehrlich Lump
Up R: Fred flashing Eitelkeit
Down L: Chris kicks ass in Eitelkeit
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****** Fuchsstein ****************************************************************************
Effervescent Elephant 7b+ Start big hold, crimp left and big move to slopers
FA by David Noden from Wales
Eitelkeit geht weiter 7a Start where Eitelkeit ends. Big move to slopey arete
and bring your feet around that arete
Lieblingslaster Eitelkeit 7c+/8a Classic! Start lying down underneath the prow.
the heels are going to heal your soul
Jenseits von Abseits Proj Start ehrlich lump, but go straight left.
Naked in the Rain 7b Not a nice finish hold yet. Start like Lump, big move
R to small crimp, balancy move to last slopey hold
Der ehrlich Lump 7b/+ Steep 6c to 7a/b slab. So it is more a short
route (~ 14 moves) than a boulder
7a/b Go left on crux to sharp crimp and then to end Flake
instead of blocking the small bad sloper ;) and
finishing over the right to the flake
Zwischen Lump und Held Proj Yet another playground ...
Der falsch Held 7b+ Crimpy shit, same finish as 'ehrlich lump'
Chipp n Tales 7b Another crimpy shit with a nice mantle to finish
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KOTLET
The Kotlet has its name cause it looks like a pieace of meat.
It is just above the Fuchsstein and has two excellent lines.
Kotlet itself is a deluxe slab 6a and Big Steak is a wonderful
Arete.
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KOTLET BOULDER
Character: Gneiss, Arete n Slab
Number: 5 Lines
Exposion: mostly afternoon sun
Best: Kotlet 6a
Big Steak 6c
Pics:
Up L: Domi styling Steak
Up R: Barti desperate on Kotlet
Down L: Jude jugging on big Steak
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****** Kotelette ******************************************************************
Chicken Curry 6c Go as low as your table manners ;)
Big Steak 6c Climb the whole arete and mantle
when you get the perfect hold
Steak 6c mantle in the middle of the arete
Kotlet 6a classic slab, easier top over crimps to the left
Kotlet sitstart 6b if you like meat
Bratwurst 6b Somehow weird, but in the end you get the sausage
Zwoei a 5 Not as easy as you think
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MOLOTOV
Molotov is just right in front of the Fuchststein. As you can see
you can spend all day between this three blocs.
This Block is like the Band Molotov. Full of fun, it has some funky
lines. Then some serious social critics and a lot of punk rock
as well. Read between the lines, read between the holds. The truth
lies there ... in between i mean ... oh well, just enjoy yourself.
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MOLOTOV
Character: Gneiss, Slabs, funks
Number: 12 Lines
Exposion: mostly in the sun all day
Best: Puto 6c
El Salto 7b
Pics:
U L: Domi, mista style in Puto
U R: Barti on molotov traverse
D L: Dave on getting the kick
of el salto
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****** Molotov ************************************************************
0-T 7a+ same start as puto, try to mantle
over the left side of the arete.
Puto 6c complicated foot hook at start,
then swing :)
El Salto 7b 2 moves to jump. funky .. if there
was a sitstart
Molotov 6c That is the traverse. Many many many
variations end wherever
El Poder 5c
Dame 6a
Latino 6b
Piolin 5a
Secreto 4c
Sin Calzetin 4
Boca de Vaca 5b+
Frijolero 7a+ one mover ... try it when you are bored
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AMEISI
A Ameisi is an ant. This is kind of the the highball bloc. It has a superb slab on
one side and some crazy crazy highballs on the other. Matthias Trottman and Dave
Gisler had the balls to do the first ascent of this cool arete. They were to humble
to give it a grade and a name. But this line is a majesty, so it is called Queen
of the Ants. And there are 3 new High balls on it of the same quality.
There are still the hardest high balls to do ... grab a box of balls next time
you come here. You will need them
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AMEISI
Character: High Balls,
Number: 12 Lines
Exposion: all
Best: Antz 6a
Bine Maya 7a
Queen 7b
Pics:
U L: humble the nose
* U R: Bine Maya
* D L: Annina Atomica
D R: Antz
* pics by tabea schwab
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****** Ameisi **************************************************************
Queen of Ants 7b HIGH BALL FA by Dave Gisler, Matthias Trottman,
So high so high
Bine Maya 7a HIGH BALL FA by Sebi Huber and Tabea Schwab
fucking scary
Sch 6-7? FA by Dave, Matti n
Stuart Partridge (stuey 8some)
8some 7a/b dyno from small crimp to
thumb undercling
antz Nose 7a sit start under the prow.
patch your way up
Pipicacahuets 6b+/7a Start like Antz. do it static or
the 2 hand dyno, which looks
better :)
Antz 6a First line on this bloc
Fugazi 6b+ weird sitstart, stand is better
Hormigaz 6b+ even more weird
Fourmiz 5b
formica bombastica 6c Morpho HIGH BALL FA by Sebi Huber
formica atomica 6a HIGH BALL
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PIXIES
Walk a bit down from the Ameisi block and you will bump into the Pixies.
The Pixies are one of my favorite Bands, so they deserve a whole Block.
This Block looks tiny when you get to it. But once you are on it, you see
the deepness of the lines. Just like the band, the beauty lies in the
secret of knowing how to see the beauty. Once you know how to look at
it a whole new world is ready to be climbed.
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PIXIES
Character: Gneiss, funky
Number: 10 Lines
Exposion: mostly sun
Best: Rock Music 6b+
Canonball 7a+
Pics:
U L: two muscles no brain
U R: dirty minds need clean holds
D L: domi canon the balls
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****** Pixies *****************************************************
Hey 6c
Planet of Sounds 7b
Where is my mind 7c/+ FA and only ascent by Dave Gisler
... haaard man, just hard
Los Angelis 6b+
Is she weird 7a so weird, she could be a woman
Bossa Nova 6b
Rock Music 6b+
Canonball 7a+ FA Dominik Seitz, so long ... long man
Havalina 5c
Hang Wire 6a
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NILPFERD
The Nilpferd bloc lies close to the river underneath the staefeli restaurant.
The whole summer of 2003 i did not go to explore that boulder until Dave Gisler
and Matthias Trottmann came to find out a way up this magic line. It is pretty
much slapping up your way on the back of a hypopotamous. Don't ask me why i
know this
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NILPFERD
Character: Gneiss, Steep and Prow
Number: 2 Lines
Exposion: late afternoon sun
Best: Nilpferd 7c
Pics:
Up L: Matt chilling in Nilpferd
Up R: Matt slapping the bitch
Down L: Dave walking on Nilpferd
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****** Nilpferd **********************
Nilpferd 7c/+ What a wonderful climb! FA by Dave Gisler
(he thinks it's 7b+, try it out)
Nil rechts proj
Nil quer rechts proj
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FRAUENBLOCK
This one is just opposite of Nilpferd on the same side of the river
as the restaurant Staefeli.
The Frauenblock has its name from one of the first Schaffhauser
Sessions. The first line was put up by the brave bunch of girls that
day. Yes, you are right. GIRLS! They are everywhere ... and ... they
are wild. WILD. if you don't believe it, come and see. They will kick
your ass, cause they are real bad ass hard core climber girls.
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FRAUENBLOCK
Character: Gneiss, really small crimps
Number: 2 Lines
Exposion: early morning sun
Best: Frauenfeind 8a
Girlfight 6b
Pics:
U L: Annina doing the Girlfight *
U R: Dave on Frauenfeind Movie *
D L: Chris is not a Frauenfeind
He has a wife and 2 daughters
* pic/video by Sebi Huber
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****** Frauenblock ************************************************************
Girlfight 5c/6a
Frauenfight 6b ? Is that the sitstart to Girlfight?
Frauenfeind 8a The floodings provided a real sitstart
FA by Dave Gisler
Frauenfreund Proj
Frauenversteher MegaProj The one who understands woman
Frauenschwarm 6b
Der mutige Charmeur 5c
Elektra ?
Wonder Women
****** Rutschbahn **********************
degres glissants 5? FA by Brice
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HAARNADEL
Close to the river and on a sharp turn on the steep part
just underneath the restaurant Staefeli you will
find an arete with a funny mantle and a high ball.
Dave Gisler and Sebi Huber have been working on
the highball
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HAARNADEL
Character: Gneiss, High
Number: 3 Lines
Exposion: early morning sun
Best: highball project
Pic: Sebi and Dave working in Neuland
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****** Haarnadel **********************************************
Kante Proj
Mantel of Arete 7a+ Standstart to the Arete
Highball Proj Lots of Pads should do
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BANDS BLOC
When you come from the restaurant Alpenroesli there will be a very
steep bit. Just before that 40m to the right you will find the
biig black massive bloc.
This bloc has history. It had the largest number on problems, but the
floodings in august 2005 ripped off 2m soil from the riverside of the
bloc. 11 problems have become High high balls. And i mean high and i
mean balls. Cause that is what you need now to climb these lines.
So far we climbed only 3 of the old lines and they became fair a bit
harder.
The problem is that the river and the big rocks make the landing really
hard to protect which result into more static climbing which makes it
harder to climb
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BANDS BLOC
Character: Gneiss, crimpy shit and
slopey highballs
Number: 12 Lines and some projects
Exposion: mostly afternoon sun
Best: Notwist 7a
Smash Mouth 8b
Pics:
U L: Domi on the funky mantle of
notwist
U R: Chris T rising into smashmouth
D L: Dave crimping the uncrimpable
on smashmouth
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****** Bands Block ***********************************************************************
Fettes Brot 3b how cool ist that one :)
The Doors 6a
Slayer(highball) 6a FA Martin and Marc. jump to big holds.
underneath is the project wall with futuristic
lines.
Notwist 7a classic, crimps to mantle. FA Dominik Seitz
Radiohead (stand) 7a+
Radiohead 7b+ don't do it on the sun, cause it will peel
your skin off
Tricky 8a one move wonder. lot's of coordination.
crimpy and painful. Not sexy at all
Tricky Sitstart Proj crimpier and more painful 8b?
Nomis 7b route grade, cause endurance. FA
Simon Wandeler
Moloko 6c/7a The first problem on the bands block, now first
hard move from sloper undercling L and crimp R
Morcheeba 7a/b start on sharp small side crimp L and pinch R
Pull up to place a left hook. Grab left crimp
and cut loose to place right hook ... and then
what? :)
Smash Mouth 8b High ball to desperate mantle. Bring lots of
pads and even more good friends. Will never be
repeated i guess
Sitstart Smash 8c? oh man ... i want to see who can climb that ...
Riders on the Storm 7a On the complete right. Jumpstart if you are
short. Get a ride on the capricorn. Standing up
from it is the crux.
FA by Matthias Trottman and Lukas Boller
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FUSSBALL
This bloc is between Bands and Downunder on the right side
of the road when you walk upwards.
If you ever wanted to test the technique of your feet then
this is your bloc. All the boulders on the slab side should
be possible without using the hands. Unless you do maradona
then you are alowed to use the hand of god.
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FUSSBALL
Character: Gneiss, Slab
Number: 8 Lines
Exposion: late afternoon sun
Pic: I have no pic of this bloc.
So i let Matt and Jude
entertain you.
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****** Fussball **********************
beckham 6c
Ronaldo 6b/c
Platini 5
Maradona 5
Pele 5
Ronaldinho 5
Flanke 4
No Hands No Hands!
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DOWNUNDER
When you walk 5min from the restaurant Alpenroesli towards Staefeli you will see that
bloc 30m on the left side of the road.
In autumn 2003 things were set for a trip around the world. The destinations were
New Zealand and Australia. So we had a theme for this block. It is a good bloc
to get you body into operational conditions before you go to the bands bloc.
But it is a great bloc in itself.
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DOWNUNDER
Character: Gneiss, Arete
Number: 11 Lines
Exposion: late afternoon to never sun
Best: New Zealand 6c
Pic: A chilled november day on New Zealand
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****** DownUnder ****************************************************
All Blacks 6c
Australia 6c
Dingo 6a
Jimothy 6c Low Traverse from Newzealand
to Australia :)
New Zealand 6c The obvious arete from right
to left
Tasmania 5a
-4 Grad C 5b
Fiji 5c
Kiwi 5c
Koala 5b
Forsters 4
XXXX 3
****** Treibholz **********************
Treibholz 6b+ FA by Martin and Marc
Rundholz 5b FA by Martin and Marc
Kielholen 5a FA by Martin and Marc
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DAECHLI
Just opposite of Downunder on the other side of the river.
The Floodings just missed this small roof. The roof gives you the possibility
to so funky moves. I feel always so uncoordinated here.
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DAECHLI
Character: Gneiss, Small Roof
Number: 7 Lines
Exposion: morning sun
Best: Cavage 7a+
Pics:
U L: xxx
U R: xxx
D L: xxx
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****** Daechli **********************
Plantage 6b+
Sabotage 7a+
Stoneage grad 7a+
Stoneage links 7a+
Trickage 7a
Cavage 7a+ FA Martin Meier and Marc from 2strong.ch
X-A 6b
Just 1 6b
Just 4 5c
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HOW TO GET THERE
Find somebody who tells you how to get to Engelberg. (Hint: 36Km south
of Lucerne)
Once in Engelberg find another one who tells you where the Fuerenbahn
is. That is a cablecar in the end of the valley.
You ll have to pay 5 SFr. to go up to the parking 2 km further and
up the hill. From the parking you are not far from the first block.
the first one is the Bruendler (Kiana). See the minimalistic maps
below. Hope you use them. If not, you might get lost in
the beauty of this valley full of alpine flowers, glaciers, rivers
and gorgeous girls (and boys if you are a girl :)
Overview
Parking Teil
Staefeli-teil
How to use this topo ...
You will find little white arrows on the boulders and the names
of the lines. The arrow is more or less on the hight of the head.
So you can find out if it is a sit or a standstart.
But of course it is not always like that. Just do it the way you
like the most. You might find much better lines inbetween the
arrows.
Grades ...
There are no grades in surfing or snowboarding. But there is
a scale anyway. You hear them say 'a 5m wave ..' or '5m above
the lip'.
We have something similar with High Balls. Then it comes to
balls level. And we somehow prefer to describe it than to number it.
On this topo you will find both, the character of a line and
my suggested grade. Read below how i construct the grade.
For the technical/power grade i do this:
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1. Climb if possible the line 3 times on different days.
like that you should establish a feeling for the line
2. Try to sell the line as hard as possible
3. Try to sell the line as soft as possible
4. Take the average of the hard and soft version
5. Let others do the same experiment and compare
Example on Looser Line:
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1. The first time i climbed it i was so happy about it and
it went so easy that i thought it is a 7a.
Then i tried to repeat it the next week and did not manage
it ... mhhh .. maybe it is 8a anyway ....
Eventually i managed to climb it again and it felt hard ..
so was thinking that it is at least a 7c
couple of weeks later i climbed it 2 more times. So that
i achieved my minimum of 3 times to know the line much
better than the ridiculous 1 timer.
2. So if i sold the line grading it as hard as possible,
i would give it a 7c.
3. And if i was a soft grader, i would give it a 8a+, although
i don't know what a 8a+ is cause i never have climbed one.
4. The average of would be 7c+/8a
5. Lots of people tried this line. A few succeded. Lots were
very close but then they could not remember the body
position on the next goes.
The character of looser line is a so called 'rythm boulder'
You have to find the rythm, the flow to it. Once you are in
it, every move becomes easy and when you are on top you feel
fresh and happy.
The difficulty of this line is to find its rythm to the body
position of every move. And that difficulty is 8a to me.
From the power point of view i would give it a 7a. That is
the power you need with the perfect body position.
Grades and Highballs
What is the fun of the high ball? The adrenalin kick! Imagine
how easy it would be to do those high balls in top rope!
There would be no fun, cause normally they are not thaaat
hard.
But how to put that into a grade? Would it not be simpler
to just add (5m fall on rocky ground on a hill?)
How much power do you need to do the move in a way so that
you don't do a helicopter over the pads on the next rock?
If you have to climb with more power cause it is a more
dangerous climb I put this amount into the grade.
If the fall is ok and it is only scary and no danger of
harm i leave it to the technical/power grade described
above.
