Schafbergwand - Meridian (7b)

The Wildhauser Schafberg face is a great spring and autumn destination, so it's been a while since our last visit in April, when we climbed Route 66. So far, it has not really been a golden autumn, and when it was, it was neither during a weekend, nor in the north-east of Switzerland. But like a miracle, a sunny Sunday appeared on the forecast, and we finally got to return for a friction fest on the steep Schafberg slabs. With Dave as a partner, I felt confident to challenge the recently renovated route Meridian, which is one of the harder objectives in the sector. It is also one of the longer tours (230m), which presents seven consistently difficult pitches between 6c and 7b to its visitors. While some people say Meridian is "surprisingly juggy", it is better understood in the local context of almost blank slabs where any tiny bump qualifies as a decent hold...

The Schafberg face at Wildhaus.

One hour hiking approach from parking lot via Gamplüt.

L1 7b (25m)

Getting off the deck already requires to negotiate the crux pitch, but it could be skipped by climbing straight to the second belay via Langstrasse (short, and easy traverse on ledge). In any case, the crux can be aided easily, because the bolts are placed very tightly. While most of this super-compact slab goes relatively well - given sufficient rubber friction, and faith in it - the crux is most likely a virtually-no-hands rock-over on a good foot which requires brutal hamstring power (never skip leg day!). You will encounter this move roughly half-way up, a similar, but slightly more manageable rock-over move waits again closer to the belay, which is a maximally uncomfortable hanging belay. Don't be tempted to link the next pitch, though, even if the SAC topo suggests that it is only 15m. We did not find this belay, most likely the renovators have removed it.

Working hard in the first pitch (7b).

L2 7a (35m)

While the SAC topo suggests two pitches (15m+20m), the renovation must have combined these pitches, which deemed us a reasonable decision. You start laybacking along big sidepulls (don't slip...), but soon the bolts lure you back into the slab. Here it helps to take a moment to find the optimal height of transition, as entering the slab early is definitely hard, and entering late makes it hard to clip...once on the slab, you need to establish yourself for the definite crux of this pitch: a bold dynamic reach to a cavity, launched from "fricing" feet, and a mediocre sidepull crimp...afterwards follows a nice, and continuous sequence on "juggy" pockets and cavities. In this part, we could also implement some small cams to improve the spaced protection. The belay is located on a comfortable ledge, which can be reached easily from the neighbour route Langstrasse.

Start of the second pitch (7a).

L3 6c+ (25m)

The first bolt is gained easily from the ledge, but the distance to the second bold could/should be protected by mobile pro. During the first two thirds of this pitch the showstopper-potential is relatively low, but no need to fear for your entertainment, either. The test to be passed is a section of slab, which is pretty blank, even for Schafberg standards. Looking closely enough, some micro-scars and edges appear to enable progress to a saving ledge. The last meters to the belay are easy, but at the cost of some loose rock.

Shortly after the crux in L3 (6c+).

L4 7a+ (25m)

The first two bolts are very close together, and leave no doubt about where to look for the crux. Very shallow water grooves and a fierce believe in friction are the only means to move up here. We can attest that falling on the second bolt is not very pleasing, but tolerable. Next, you cross the big crack/ramp, which runs up to your left. Above, three more bolts in compact, slabby/slopy terrain need to be clipped before the belay.

Shallow water grooves ahead in L4 (7a+): Freaction!

L5 7a (25m, probably shorter) 

Reaching the first bolt already requires some commitment, but you definitely have to earn the second one. Here it helps to "keep calm and execute", the moves are never extremely hard, but positive holds and feet are absent, making this sequence a literally "creepy" experience...remark: for us it felt easier to meander a bit along the least negative slopers. Lastly, another memorable, technical slab guards the way to the belay. A fun, sustained pitch!

Chilling before the crux in L5 (7a).

L6 6c (50m!)

Again, the SAC topo suggests two pitches (25m+25m), but we could not spot the first belay after 25m. The distance is covered well with a 60m rope, but we are not 100% certain that every 50m rope will do the same. Climbing-wise this pitch mainly tests your run-out resistance, it never seems very hard, but the bolts are spaced fairly far apart, so that mobile protection is not a bad idea. Indeed, some of the cavities take cams, but a few placements are better implemented with stoppers. The upper part is quite vegetated, too. Overall, clearly the lowest quality pitch in our opinion!

Dave motoring his way up the so-so L6 (6c).

L7 7a (45m)

Once more, the SAC topo shows two pitches (20m+25m), but on-site it is clearly just one. The water grooves look amazing from the belay, but some parts are also intimidatingly shallow...initially big cavities lead the way to the first bolt. From here on, the line of bolts lures towards left, but it seemed more logical to us keeping right. However, at some point you need to commit yourself to the left hand side, if you don't want to climb all the way through Langstrasse, which follows the deeper grooves. But if you commit, better bring fresh rubber, and nerves of steel. The crux is as obligatory as paying taxes, and the next clip seems miles away. Well, not if you chicken-out to the right and pre-clip from there... (: Having overcome this part by some means, a cool section of no-hand spraddling follows, before another tricky, but less desperate sequence awaits you. The hanging belay is uncomfortable, and was unequipped (we added two maillons), so you may consider traversing to the right to reach the more comfortable belay of Langstrasse, which is also equipped for rappel.

Fantastic water grooves and no-handers in L7 (7a).

Using 2x60m ropes we descended in four rappels (L7, L6, L5+L4+L3, L1+L2).

Schafbergwand - Meridian 7b (6c+ obl.) - 7 pitches, 230m, Frank Schäfer, Falk Umlauft, 1992

Gear: Cams BD #0.3-0.5, Stoppers, Slings

Meridian is an uncompromisingly straight line through the quality limestone of the Schafberg south-face at Wildhaus, making it a sustained, and calf-crushing endeavour. Best visited on sunny days during spring or fall. Most of the time, the level of protection felt pretty good, not only by local standards. Just the 7a crux in the last pitch was a bit outside of our comfort zone, but we could pre-clip it via Langstrasse. The renovators replaced almost all intermediate bolts with new material, while the belays are a mix of generations. Moreover, some intermediate placements received new bolts, but retained their retro hangers X) On a different note, beware of rockfall, which is quite common, in particular if other teams (human or animal) are climbing. In our opinion, Meridian mainly separates itself from other local routes by its continuous difficulty, and not so much by its rock quality, which is very good on the entire face.

PS: Thanks a lot to Marco Wasina for giving us a lift back to the parking lot, much appreciated!

PPS: Thanks a lot also to Gian Camenisch for retrieving our stuck rope, and taking some cool shots!

It's all about teamwork! And turning the camera to make it look a bit steeper :D