Ingredients for a great climb
What are the ingredients for a perfect climb?
1. An impressive mountain
2. A challenging route
3. A good and nice climbing partner
4. A sunny day
5. A great view
6. A good condition
7. Time to go to the mountains
Here are the answers:
1. Gimpel
2. “Morgenstund” (UIAA VI-), 7 rope pitches
3. SP member Little Mole
4. At 11th October 2008 sunny and warm weather
5. View to Allgäu, Lechtal Alps, Verwall…
6. The week before I was climbing at Sardinia…
7. Great weather and conditions – I just take the time…
So at 11th October 2008 all 7 terms were fulfilled. So this is a Trip Report of a perfect climbing day in the Alps!
The plan
Since some years I regularly climb with Uli (SP member Little Mole). Together we increased our skills. And this summer we planned to make a great climb in the mountains together.
There were several dreams in our head and then we made the decision for a wonderful great climb in Allgäu Alps. It is an impressive rock and well known in Germany and Austria: the Gimpel!
There are several possibilities to climb it, but we wanted a challenging route. So we decided to climb the route “Morgenstund” at the Gimpel Vorbau. 7 rope pitches with difficulty up to VI-.
The climb
![Deep view at Gimpel]() Climbing "Morgenstund" at Gimpel
| ![Top of Gimpel Vorbau]() Top of Gimpel Vorbau | ![Abseiling at Gimpel Vorbau]() Abseiling
| ![Evening light in Tannheimer Tal]() Sunset in Tannheimer Tal
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Uli drove to Nesselwängle in Tannheimer Tal at Friday evening and hiked to Gimpelhaus (hut) in the evening hours. I was at a wedding party at Friday evening so I had to drive early in the morning at Saturday. So I stood up early with less sleep after the party and drove to Nesselwängle at 6.30. I was there at 9:15 and arrived at the hut at 10:15 were Uli waited for me. After drinking and eating something we started hiking to the wall. The temperatures were not like October. It was sunny and warm and I just could wear a t-shirt.
There were a lot of hikers in this area but when we reached the wall we were the first at our route. So good conditions for a climb free of traffic jam!
I started to climb the first part and had a really good feeling. Everything worked well. When I reached the first halting place it was wonderful! I secured Uli and he reached me soon and continued the next rope pitch. It was really a great pleasure!
So we continued one rope pitch after the other. There were some really challenging parts in the route but we made it. So with every rope pitch my anticipation to reach the top grew more and more!
As I leaded the last rope pitch I climbed the last metres and then I was there – finished the route “Morgenstund”, standing at the top! What a wonderful feeling, what a great view!
I secured Uli and soon he was with me at the top! Really a great satisfaction!
After drinking and eating something and enjoying the impressive landscape we crossed some metres on a fixed rope and started abseiling. After 3x abseiling at an impressive and extremely vertical part of the wall we reached the ground again! We packed all our things and leaved the wall where you always have the danger of rockfall. As it was late in the afternoon we decided not to make a break at the hut but to descend to the valley. We were back at our cars just before it got dark.
As reward for this wonderful climb we went to a restaurant and filled our empty stomachs! Isn´t it great to finish a great climb with a Coke and Wiener Schnitzel?!?!? ;-)
After dinner in the restaurant we drove home. I came home at 11 pm and Uli even 2 hours later in the middle of the night.
I was dead beated but slept with a nice smile on my face – I guess it was because I was dreaming of a perfect climbing day in the Alps!
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