Nothing but rock, landscape, emptiness and silence: it's hard to believe that there is still so much untouched nature between the cities of Innsbruck and Munich. At 727 km, the Karwendel mountains are not only the largest protected area in Tyrol and the largest nature park in Austria, but also the largest climbing area in the Northern Limestone Alps. Header image: Woodstock 400,000 people made a pilgrimage to this legendary music festival in 1969. However, only a select few, such as former bouldering world champion Anna Stöhr and former overall bouldering world cup winner Kilian Fischhuber, make the pilgrimage to "Woodstock" (10) on the Speckkarspitze. For both of them, the Halleranger - in complete contrast to the Woodstock Festival - is the ultimate oasis of calm.
Noother Alpine city can boast such a monumental city wall created by nature as Innsbruck. To the north, it stands stubborn, rigid and proud like the archetype of the pithy cliché Tyrolean: the 2,637 m high Nordkette.
Anna laughs! Anna doesn't just do this in the picture, it's also the name of a climbing tour in the Karwendel. Anna's dad first climbed it in 2007 together with Anna's coach Reini Scherer, when she won her first world championship title and made everyone laugh.
The advantages of #climberscity "If you have an e-bike, you can cycle comfortably from Innsbruck to the Karwendel in the morning, have lunch at the hut and go climbing in the afternoon. Even if you're in alpine terrain, it feels like sport climbing," says Kilian.
Standing on it and enjoying the view to the north - which, incidentally, is often denied to the cliché Tyrolean - one thing becomes immediately clear: Innsbruck doesn't just have one city wall, but several in a row. This is because four large mountain ranges stretch for miles from west to east in the Karwendel, forming an imposing fortress of thousands of battlements and embrasures, a bulwark of karwendel limestone. For a long time, the attribute karwendelig was considered by climbers to be synonymous with brittle. But this is a historical misjudgment, as former Boulder World Cup overall winner and Wahlinnsbruck resident Kilian Fischhuber can confirm:
"That may be true of many old alpine tours, but the new sport climbing routes and especially the routes on the Speckkarspitze lead through bombproof rock."
They are smooth, as if cut with a butter knife, says Kilian. And Anna Stöhr is reminded of woodchip wallpaper, interspersed with beautiful crack systems that artfully define the lines. Given the sheer endless climbing possibilities offered by Innsbruck's four city walls, one thing should come as no surprise: For students from all over Europe with an affinity for the Alps, the university city of Innsbruck is the place of longing par excellence. 40 percent of prospective academics now come from abroad. And even if evil tongues claim that they are hardly ever present during the day, they contribute significantly to the city's international flair. There is no doubt about it: Innsbruck is and remains the climbing capital of the Alps.
Late love Anna only really discovered alpine climbing and the Karwendel after her professional career as a boulderer. She now enjoys the adventure playground on her doorstep all the more. Incidentally, "Woodstock" is also a first ascent by Anna's dad and her trainer Reini. LIMIT #2: Alpine climbing in Tyrol - the hot-off-the-press issue!
In this issue, we have dedicated ourselves entirely to alpine climbing in Tyrol. On 136 pages, we present the impressive vertical diversity of Tyrol. With exciting stories from 15 climbing spots that offer a deep insight into the history of alpine climbing in Tyrol.
Karwendel Speckkarspitze north face / Route 'Woodstock' All climbing opportunities in the Innsbruck region All articles of the Innsbruck region
