‘Tina Turner’ (8), Freispitze, Lechtaler Alpen
Johnny meinte, man müsse mal was schreiben über unser kleines Abenteuer oben auf der Freispitze. Man findet so gar nichts über die Tina Turner (8+) im Internet, sonst nur Hits, Hits, Hits und cheesy lyrics. Also gut, Johnny, have a go:
Ein Gastbeitrag von Johnny DeMaine.
Two climbers with kids and wives to please can make coordinating that last weekend of summer weather a nightmare. Perseverance. Soon we’ll be having the sweetest of dreams at a beautiful bivvy in the mountains.
After a morning of constant ‘hin und her’, it was decided: off to Halleranger – can’t go wrong with that …though Freispitze had always been the original plan. The real mission. Still, it had finally been sorted and settled – no need to further complicate the already tangled logistic plans and kids and bikes and morning activities and meeting points and and and … right?
But what’s another phone call? Maybe Simon feels the same. Maybe we can wing it. And after yet another negotiation to get use of the car, it was a done, albeit harrowing, deal.
Freispitze it is!
But first I’d have to taxi the family up to Schlick in Stubaital. Don’t forget to forget something, though. Good thing I had time to think while battling traffic on the way down from Brenner back to Innsbruck. A quick stop back home to grab the rack of cams, and we were off.
Rock deluxe
After stuffing our faces with pizza and the sort at the oddly full parking area up by the chapel, we made quick work of the approach. Surprisingly, we met many on their way down only to hear complaints about the heat and or crowds. Are we in the right place? This is one of the quietest, most secluded places I know to climb …
Turns out there was a big group of Allgäu climbers having their annual 19th of September birthday celebration up in the ‘Schafgufel’. 32th anniversary, respect! After a chat (and Simon’s deja vu from some years past when he happened to be up there on exactly September 19th), it was off to find our plan B bivvy spot.
We searched high and low, rating and contemplating the maximum coziness of each consideration. We decided on the hilly meadows just atop the Gufel. Good call! A perfectly clear and moonless night provided us with the best of galactic evening entertainment and an impressive view of our next-day’s objective. Sweet dreams after all.
Oh, Tina!
The climb is absolutely fantastic from start to finish without any big surprises or errors in the topo. Just as good as any classic up there and quite moderately protected compared to older routes. The moderate and more relaxed alpin pitches are a welcoming repose between the challenging and steep pitches, particularly in the first half, which creates an absolutely wonderful and exciting accent through this impressive face, ending on the mountain’s most prominent feature.
We used a 60m single rope and brought along a tagline just in case. We also had a black totem which commonly found its way into perfect placements. If you’ve got one, add it to the small advised rack of 0.3-1.
“Tina Turner”: The pitches
- Approach and Pitch 1: Scramble up from the left to the start of the climb (it doesn’t start down directly at the foot) and climb the short and enjoyable cracks and slabs. 1 bolt and faded name at the base.
- Pitch 2: Boulder straight out of the belay on the first 3 bolts. It eases off, then some face climbing and a move out right before heading up with somewhat sparse bolting. Keep slightly right up to the belay and watch for ropedrag. Great pitch, but a one star belay stance.
- Pitch 3: Steep climbing with a classic touch. The second half of the pitch is more relaxed.
- Pitch 4: Again some powerful boulder moves off the belay on the first bolt. I went right, Simon left. Same same. The jugs are up there… After the small roof, head left.
- Pitch 5 + 6: Simon kind of linked these pitches. He belayed just before the actual belay on a piton. It might be a bit over 60m to the bolted belay. Otherwise, I think the first belay is on one bolt. Stay on the solid rock and the bolted belay is up on a big flat ledge with orange rock.
- Pitch 7: Be careful not to piss off the bees. They seemed friendly enough. A bit of a reachy clip and move at the second bolt. The pitch is exceptional.
- Pitch 8: But it gets even better! The crème de la crème of the pitches. Very technical move on the first bolt, then steep and pumpy to the end. Enjoy that exposure! And keep it together for those last few moves. More bolts than given in the topo. Black totem was placed, otherwise just bolts.
- Pitch 9: Chill but takes a little bit of route-finding. Climb the first corner to a ledge. Head up just a bit further before going right on the water runnels. If you see the rap belay, you’ve climbed too high. I’d know;) If in doubt, stay low and in easy terrain.
- Pitch 10: Amazing and sharp as shit. Start up on the left (good placement). Rock exquisiteness goes down in the second half of the pitch. Not a full 60m.
- Pitch 11: Follow the bolts up left for some fantastic moves on cool rock. There is some old tat way up on the left – ignore that and head straight up and slightly right to the belay. So many jugs!
- Pitch 12: This one is as techy as the other one is pumpy. Amazing pitch with some tricky moves and tests your rock reading skills. Pumpy little finish just to round things out. Five stars! Completely bolted. Unfortunately the Wandbuch took a deadly tumble down the mountain at some point and is no longer there :(
- Pitch 13: Grab yourself a handful of cactus-rock one last time before the summit. How do your feet feel? Get those comfy shoes on and enjoy that well-earned peak!
Topo: “Tina Turner”, Freispitze
Decent: One 25m rappel off the tower, then walk West 10 mins to the rappel station (big cairns). The rappels can be done with a single 60m rope. The first rap is a rope stretcher to a glued bolt on the right – otherwise take the slung rock with tons of old slings at about 20 meters. Short rappels are probably advisable with the sharp and clingy rock. Enjoy the views as you head down the ridge to the saddle for the last 30m rappel from a slung spike.
