Bouldering in the fairytale forest: Mandler's floor in Pitztal

A forest straight out of a fairy tale - "Mandlers Boden" in the Pitztal. Around seven years ago, a family and beginner-friendly bouldering area was opened at Mandlers Boden above the hamlet of Ritzenried. At the beginning of June 2024, the "Climbing with Respect Day" was held there in collaboration with Climbers Paradise and the Pitztal Tourism Association. Together with professional climber and Salewa athlete Louis Gudolf and nature educator Markus Taibon-Mitterdorfer from the Kaunergrat Nature Park, who both live in the beautiful Pitztal, participants were given an insight into bouldering on rock and the flora and fauna around the Mandlers Boden.

9.45 a.m. - Meeting point in a beautiful meadow in the middle of the forest above Rietzenried. All around is forest, birdsong and lots of different boulders that invite young and old to boulder. Louis had already prepared everything for the participants. After a brief introduction to the basics of bouldering on the rock and a short warm-up program, the climbing shoes were laced up and the first experiences of bouldering on the rock were gained. The climbing pro explained the most important techniques, gave us a brief overview of equipment and the like and what to look out for when climbing and bouldering in the great outdoors. He also described to the participants how he himself organizes a day of climbing and bouldering on the rock and how he goes about it. The participants then tried their hand at various bouldering exercises with the help of Louis. The focus was on laughing at, supporting and cheering each other on, as well as having fun and tackling the bouldering problems together.

Bouldering in harmony with nature

After a short lunch break with the best food from Bio vom Berg, we continued under the motto "Climbing with Respect" with an exciting introduction by Markus on the topic of flora and fauna in the Pitztal. The nature educator used various games and exercises to introduce us to the diversity of flora and fauna that can be seen between the boulder blocks. We all particularly remembered the peat moss, which is a protected species and should therefore be protected at all costs. Mosses play an important role in nature as they act as natural water reservoirs and can prevent soil erosion. They provide a habitat and food for various animal species and contribute to biodiversity. To protect nature and avoid destroying plants such as mosses and lichens, it is important to only walk on existing paths and trails. It is essential to avoid trampling or uprooting plants. We should stick to the markings or, where these are missing, proceed with caution.

Where to go when the pressure is on?

In addition to the fascinating flora and fauna, we also dealt with the important topic of "outdoor toilets". One way of disposing of waste that always works is to defecate in a previously dug hole and then close it up again. However, according to the nature educator, it would be better to take everything away again and dispose of it in the nearest residual waste. Above all, Markus emphasizes that tissues, wet wipes and toilet paper have no place in the forest and must be disposed of elsewhere. It is important that we respect our environment and treat it responsibly in order to preserve it for future generations.

A big thank you goes to Luois for the exciting introduction to rock bouldering, as well as Markus for all the information about nature in the Pitztal and of course to all participants for the great cooperation and the nice bouldering day at Mandlers Boden. Also a big thank you to Bio vom Berg for the great catering. And one more important sentence to conclude: Let's take care of nature together so that we can enjoy climbing on the rock for many more years to come!

More about the spot: Mandlers Boden All details & free topos can be found here! You can find all the guidelines for "Climbing with Respect" here

Text & photos: Lara Novak