Treffauer – north face plinth (Schneekar) · Wilder Kaiser · Austria
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: high
Nine pitches of easy slabs and water runnels beside the Treffauer normal route, UIAA 5 at most if you take the easy variant on pitch 4. Lots of bolts and friendly ground make it one of the most popular routes in the Schneekar. The rock is not solid everywhere and the walk-in is two hours.
The route
König der Löwen climbs the plinth of the Treffauer north face at the start of the Schneekar, right beside the mountain's normal route. bergsteigen.com sums up the recipe as a great many bolts, climber-friendly ground and low grades. The lower pitches are easy slabs; in the middle a small overhang gives a short passage of UIAA 5/5+ that can be avoided on the right at grade 4; the top has steeper passages and a chimney groove. The rock is not solid everywhere, but there are many good passages.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 3a | 30 m | Easy slabs (UIAA 3). |
| P2 | 4b | 30 m | Smoother water runnels (UIAA 4). |
| P3 | 4a | 30 m | UIAA 4-. |
| P4 | 3b | 30 m | Easy and rather earthy on the right-hand variant (UIAA 3+ to 4). The direct line over a short overhang is UIAA 5/5+ (about 5a+), recommended by bergsteigen.com and possible by pulling on the bolts. |
| P5 | 4c | 35 m | UIAA 4+. |
| P6 | 4c | 40 m | UIAA 4+. |
| P7 | 5a | 35 m | UIAA 5; steeper ground. |
| P8 | 5a | 30 m | UIAA 5. |
| P9 | 4c | 45 m | UIAA 5-; a chimney groove leads to the top. The route ends at a thread after a lane through the dwarf pine. |
Getting there
From Wörgl, Kufstein or St. Johann take the B178 to Scheffau, turn into the village and at Gasthof Maikircher go right towards the Jägerwirt. Park at the pay car park Wegscheid just below Gasthof Jägerwirt (about 880 m). By public transport: KaiserJet or Postbus to "Scheffau Dorf", then about 30 min on foot to the car park.
About 2 h. From the car park climb towards the Treffauer on path 826 past the Wegscheid-Niederalm and Hochalm to the junction with the Wilder-Kaiser-Steig. Continue north, passing right of a small waterfall, then up through dwarf pine to the start of the Schneekar. Where the Treffauer normal route leaves the cirque to the right, go a few metres further along the wall to the start, marked by a thread with a lion on it, at about 1705 m.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Pay car park Wegscheid below Gasthof Jägerwirt, Scheffau
Point from bergsteigen.com touren/klettern/koenig-der-loewen-treffauer-nordwand
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: 47.55800, 12.28000 (route base) · Parking: 47.53610, 12.26540
Getting down
On foot. From the end of the route traverse horizontally to the Treffauer normal route, which is clearly visible, and descend it to the start. Then go down the approach path to the car park. bergsteigen.com gives 1 h 45, Climbers Paradise 2 h 30.
Retreat
Bail not documented
Retreat is not documented. The descent is on foot and neither source says whether the belays are rigged for abseiling. The route runs close to the Treffauer normal route, which may offer a way off, but no source describes one.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
North to north-west facing, 1700 to 1950 m, so the route only gets sun in the afternoon. Season June to October. In spring with snow on the ground the descent crosses a dangerous avalanche zone, including wet-snow slides.
Sun on the wall · N-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 Wilder Kaiser are not available yet
What to carry
11 quickdraws, a 60 m single rope and a helmet (bergsteigen.com); Climbers Paradise says a 50 m rope and 10 quickdraws. No nuts or cams.
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 König der Löwen.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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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.
