The Best Multi-Pitch Climbing Routes in Tirol

Situated on the steep southern face of the Leuchsturm peak in the Wilder Kaiser Mountains, this route is 275 metres in length and goes by the name "Whisky & Cigarettes". It is one of two multi-pitch routes near the Kopftörlgrat above the Gruttenhütte and is popular with advanced and expert climbers. The route is made up of ten pitches and has sections rated up to 7a+. Climbers can access the start point via Hochgrubach and the Gamsängersteig trail.

There are actually three multi-pitch routes on the 2,178-metre-high Kopfkraxen mountain, but our recommendation is "Blue Moon" – with its corners and cracks it is considered one of the most beautiful climbing routes in the whole Wilder Kaiser Mountains. The route has plenty of anchors drilled into the south-facing rock face. At 560 metres (14 pitches) it is of intermediate length. The hardest sections are rated 6a. The route can be accessed on foot from the Jägerwirt inn in Scheffau.

The Nösslachwand is a rock face between Umhausen and Längenfeld in the Ötztal Valley offering not only a single-pitch climbing area but also nine multi-pitch routes of varying lengths. We recommend the 200-metre-long "Strada del Sole" (rated 6b) with its seven pitches and plenty of safety anchors. The route can be accessed via a forest trail starting at the car park next to the main road through the valley.

The clue's in the name here at "Endenie" (rated 7-), which translates as "Never Ending". This multi-pitch route on the Breithorn mountain near Waidring is one of the longest but not necessarily one of the most difficult in the Eastern Alps at 38 pitches and 1,570 metres of climbing. The limestone is solid throughout and has plenty of anchors drilled into the wall. The route can be approached from the car park next to the B178 road via the Metzgeralm hut up to the northern ridge of the 2,413m Breithorn mountain.

Among the most popular climbing routes on the 150-metre-high rock faces of the Steinplatte is without a doubt "Ironmouse" (rated 6b). It comprises seven pitches and excellent, stable rock from start to finish. It is just one of around 100 multi-pitch climbing routes in the area, with several others very close by – climbers should therefore be careful so that they don't get in the way of others.

It is just a short walk from the Muttekopfhütte above Imst to the Engelkartürme, a series of towering rock faces at around 2,400 metres above sea level. The most southerly of these faces is for rock climbers only and features nine multi-pitch routes on its eastern and western sides. Most of the climbing is on slabs, cracks and overhanging rocks. The routes here are a maximum of seven pitches and are generally rated between 3 and 6.

Steep rock with limestone flanks full of tiny fingerholds is a pretty good description of "Hokus Pokus" (rated 7a+), one of the 37 multi-pitch climbing routes on the Klobenjoch in the Rofan Mountains. This pitch is on the left-hand side of the southern wall and, like the others, has plenty of solid anchors drilled into the rock. It has four pitches and takes around four hours to complete. The nearby Dalfazalm hut is a good place to reflect on your achievements over a cool drink.

With 32 pitches and a difficulty rating of 7a+, "Herzschlag der Leidenschaft" is for experts only. This steep, 1,670-metre-long route on the southern slopes of the Sonnjoch in the Falzthurntal Valley is the number one highlight of the climbing area at Gramai. There are enough, but certainly not too many, anchors drilled into the rock for safety. The rock quality is poor at the bottom but gets better as you go up. It is just a five-minute walk to the starting point.

The Jungmannschaftswand is one of the most popular climbing areas around Zirl on summer days. It is located in the Ehnbachklamm gorge and has nine routes of varying difficulty, including the "Jungmannschaftsriss". As the name suggests, most of the climbing is along cracks in the rock ("Riss" is the German word for "crack"). The route is 100 metres long and has four pitches. It is rated 6b+.

Climbing with a view! The 2,173-metre-high Gimpel mountain in the Tannheimer Tal Valley is home to 18 multi-pitch routes, most of which are well-secured with lots of soldi anchors. The routes are rated between 3+ and 9-. This climbing area is very popular – not least because it can be easily accessed.