Kleine Himmelwand, Kötschachtal · Gastein (Hohe Tauern) · Austria
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
Ten pitches of varied climbing on good rock, mostly slabs with some cracks and steeper passages. Largely UIAA 5 with a few moves of 6 and three spots of 7 that go at 6+ A0. A short walk-in and a rigged abseil line.
The route
Father and Son is a ten-pitch plaisir route on the Kleine Himmelwand in the Kötschachtal, a side valley of the Gastein valley. The climbing is varied and on good rock: mainly slabs, with some cracks and steeper passages. Most of it is UIAA 5, with a few moves of 6 and three spots of 7 (about 6b to 6b+) that can be climbed at 6+ A0 by pulling on a bolt. bergsteigen.com rates the protection very good and the route is set up for abseiling.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P2 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P3 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P4 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P5 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P6 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P7 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P8 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P9 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
| P10 | – | Not described individually in open sources. |
Getting there
From Bad Gastein drive into the Kötschachtal and park before the Grüner Baum hotel, at the Kötschachtal car park (about 1080 m).
About 30 min on a forest road. It crosses meadows and passes the Himmelwandhütte. Continue straight on until a game feeding station appears on the left; above it carry on straight towards the waterfall and climb beside it, crossing it twice, until you reach the rock at about 1200 m.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Kötschachtal car park
Point from bergsteigen.com touren/klettern/father-and-son-kleine-himmelwand
Contains the route point and parking. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 47.12146, 13.18667 (route base) · Parking: 47.12698, 13.15736
Getting down
Abseil the route. With 50 m double ropes you go from belay to belay. With 60 m double ropes use the intermediate stations marked on the topo; a station shown on the topo with only a yellow dot is for abseiling only. bergsteigen.com allows about 1 h 35 for the descent and walk out.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is the normal descent and the stations are laid out for both 50 m and 60 m double ropes, so you can turn round at any belay.
Safety
Sun and weather
South facing, base about 1200 m. Season April to October. In spring wait until the full-depth avalanches have come down. The wall dries relatively quickly after rain.
Sun on the wall · S-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
Climate figures for Gastein (Hohe Tauern) are not available yet
What to carry
12 quickdraws, double ropes (2×50 m or 2×60 m) and a helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Father and Son.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Around 6b+ · about 10 pitches
Morocco · Taghia
Ten pitches of even 6b and 6b+ on compact rock ten minutes from the gîtes, mostly technical slab and wall climbing on your feet, with a 50 m sixth pitch on vertical edges that everyone singles out. It is among the most accessible long routes at Taghia, in the shade for most of the day, and a little polished low down.
6b+10 pitches330 m
Read the cautions
France · Aravis
A ten-pitch line to the summit of the Pointe Percée, the high point of the Aravis, following green hangers up the cool north-west face. Seven long pitches, mostly easy with a 6a+ wall, reach the notch of the Arête du Doigt; three independent pitches finish it, including a memorable slab traverse of 6b+ that can be aided on the bolts.
6b+10 pitches400 m
Read the cautions
France · Verdon
A modern (2019) line up a staircase of limestone pillars above the Chalet de la Maline, with short walking links between them. Harder than its old 6a grade suggests: recent parties report obligatory 6a+/6b moves on the first three pitches, and the last pitch is 6b+ or A0.
6b+10 pitches300 m
Read the cautions
Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
Eleven pitches up the south face of Telendos on extraordinarily sculpted rock, finishing with a 50 m wall of flint-like knobs. Two 6b+ pitches low down are the cruxes and the grades are widely called friendly. With the boat or coastal walk in and the walk off over the island, it makes a full and memorable day.
6b+11 pitches265 m
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.
