Gross Schijen - Direkte Südkante

Overview

Gross Schijen - Direkte Südkante

Gross Schijen is a granite peak located in the Uri district on the Northern side of the Oberalp Pass road. Direkte Südkante runs on the right hand side of the sunny South-East face of Gross Schjien, climbing a detached pillar and getting to a notch between this pillar and the main summit; a superb steady route with a quick approach and first-class granite, lying very close to the classic Südkante route.

Getting There

From Andermatt, a little town at St.Gotthard northern exit, follow the road to Oberalp Pass as far as the village of Natschen m. 1850, where you must leave the main road and turn to left, following a gravel road and reaching a forking. At the forking turn to right and carry on for some Kilometers, reaching the place named Gutsch. Park the car in a little pull out near the bar closing the road.

Direkte Südkante report

DIREKTE SÜDKANTE
Summit altitude: mt. 2784
Difficulty: F6b max, or 6a with 2 a.p.
Climbing length: 350 m
Exposure: SE
First ascent: B. Honegger – A. Muller 1995
Starting point: Gutsch m 2300 (parking)

Direkte Südkante report (French Scale)

From the parking walk along the unsurfaced road for about 5 minutes, then leave the road and take on the left-hand side a steep trail getting briefly the right hand of the face (15 minutes from the parking). Starting point below a steep red wall, cut by a clean crack.

L1 - Climb the magnificent crack to the pillar’s top (5c+)
L2 - Straight up, climbing the steep wall over the stance along a little corner and a very hard crack (6b+, 6a with 2 a.p.)
L3 – Climb some little walls to a shallow corner, then a superb slab. (6a)
L4 – Towards left to a pillar starting with a little overhang, then thin cracks to a stance below a roof (5b).

L5 – Towards left under the roof, then climb a wall with fine cracks (5c). L6 – Another superb pitch along technical corners (6a)
L7 – L8 Two easy pitches leading to the summit ridge (4a)
L9 – An other easy pitch along the summit ridge, with a final 10 mt abseil reaching a grassy saddle between the pillar and the main summit.
From the saddle scramble up about 10-15 minutes to get Gross Schijen main summit, where you can have a satisfactory view over the Uri Range.

Descent: from the top walk down to the grassy saddle, where a grassy track starts towards SE reaching a steep gully which leads to the bottom (three optional abseils).

Red Tape

There are not particular restriction in climbing and hiking. Cars are not allowed beyond Gutsch parking lot.

Essential Gear and climbing grades

  Rope 2 x 50, helmet, nuts 6-9, friends 1-2, ten express.

When to climb

Best season goes from the end of April to the end of October.

Guidebooks and maps

- Guidebooks

"Schweiz Plaisir Ost" by Sandro von Känel - Edition Filidor 2015

"Schweiz Plaisir Ost" by Jurg von Kanel - Edition Filidor

Meteo

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