Limit - the best crags in Tirol

74 »There’s 1,001 opportunities right in front of us,« Bettina is raving. She lives in Kramsach, just a few kilometres from here, and frequently visits this area for climbing. Looking down, the colors of the unique Achensee display all shades from emerald green to navy blue. Reaching more than nine kilometres in length, but only one kilometre in width at the most, it could also be mistaken for a fjord. More important than its optical appea- rance, however, there’s rock all around: The mountains of the Karwendel are located to the west, and the Rofan range lies east of the lake. Let’s begin with the Rotspitze in the Rofan, where Bettina and Sarah have just topped out from the »Wahnsinnskante«. There’s a bunch of reasons why the Rotspitze is a superb cliff for rock climbing: Besides the stunning views from the summit, there’s the highly comfortable approach with the Rofan cable car. Sleeping in and alpine climbing: What sounds like a contradiction elsewhere, is easily possible here! Moreover, the rou- tes are impressively exposed but at the same time excellently protected with bolts which makes them a perfect destination for less-experienced climbers. Also the descent, which can be done without any rappelling, adds to the overall experience. Among a wide variety of old and new routes alike, the creations of one of the former legends of the sport must be mentioned: The Alte Südwand (1917) and the Rebitschkante, opened by Hias Rebitsch in 1931. Back in the days, Rebitsch graded the route UIAA V. Later, it was upgraded to VI- and nowadays some might admit that there are routes graded VII at a sport climbing crag which might feel easier than the aforementioned masterpiece. Hats off to Hias Rebitsch, who managed to open the route without today’s protection and equipment! Probably nowhere else alpine sport climbing and adventurous alpine climbing can coexist as close as here in the mountains of the Rofan range. At the Klobenjoch, sport climbers who love perfect limestone with a likewise protection, will find their playground. Those who prefer some distance between the bolts, should pay a visit to the Issplatten, where distinctive water grooves dominate the climbing style. Finally, there is a whole lot for alpinists, who know how to use camming devices properly and have the required skills to protect a whole route self-responsibly. The north faces of the Seekarlspitze, Rosskopf and Rofanspitze which can reach up to 400 m and the east face of the Sagzahn perfectly meet these requirements. These areas belong to the wildest and loneliest of the Rofan range, however, they are at least as beautiful as the rest. Even one of the famous routes from Walter Pauses’ legendary book »Im extre- men Fels« is located at the Seekarlspitze, the Ypsilon-crack (UIAA VI). Last but not least, there’s also a via ferrata, which offers stunning views on the last pitch of the Ypsilon-crack. The ferrata is just a few metres to its left and with the help of iron clamps and ropes, the face can be clim- bed slightly more comfortable, but with 400 metres above the ground, just as exposed. It’s about time to end our extended break on the summit of the Rotspitze since clouds are beginning to pile up over the lake. Before we start our descent to reach the last cable car ahead of the thunderstorm, Bettina glances down at the lake once more. »The combination of water and mountains seems to be particularly inspiring,« she says. The area around the Achensee not only offers 1,001 climbing opportunities, but also 1,001 legends and myths. One of these claims that in ancient times, there was a village of considerable size in place of the lake. Its inhab- itants, however, were said to be so wicked and unholy that the Lord sent an incessant thunderstorm which flooded the village. »When you take a really close look, you might still catch a glimpse of the church’s spire through the water,« Bettina smiles… Weitblick Sarah Stenico muss sich auf den nächsten Zug in der »Wahnsinnskante« konzentrieren. Wir konzentrieren uns auf den Wahnsinnsausblick: Links hinten die 3.000er der Stubaier Alpen, rechts das Karwendelgebirge. Sarah needs to focus on the next move in the route »Wahnsinnskante«. We, on the other hand, prefer to focus on the great view. In the back- ground, you can see the alpine peaks of the Stubai Alps to the left, and the Karwendel range to the right. | Achensee | Rofan