The climbing route builder

Werner Gürtler - his workplace is the rock face

"Who is that with the drill hanging up there in the Stafflach wall?" This question has been asked by many people in Wipptal in recent years. This includes the whirring of the drill and the tapping of the hammer, which often echoes from the wall. Werner Gürtler calls this "music to the ears" as he pursues one of his favorite activities here: discovering, opening up and exploring new climbing routes. For him, it's all about adventure, passion and leaving his first traces in an area where no one has been before.

Werner has been living this passion for many decades, making him one of the most influential alpine developers in Tyrol. Developing climbing routes is first and foremost a kind of vocation. But then you have to learn the craft thoroughly, through intensive self-study and on courses such as the sport climbing instructor training course or the Alpine Club Academy.

You don't get rich from this activity, the reward is rather the successful climbing route. Most route setters work as idealists, out of love for the cause, and often even pay for the bolts themselves. Nevertheless, Werner has opened up, cleaned and bolted more than 1,000 pitches in Tyrol in his lifetime, making them accessible to climbing enthusiasts.

His latest work is a climbing garden on the Stafflacher Wand above the mountaineering village of St. Jodok. Here there are 49 sport climbing routes from the 4th to the lower 9th degree of difficulty. A new route with five pitches requires around 30 to 40 hours of work The new climbing garden certainly involves at least 500 hours of work, and Werner was also supported by many climbing enthusiasts.

In addition to the routes for advanced climbers, Werner has also set up a beginners' area here. The ideal environment to get a taste of sport climbing or to experience a great day on the rocks with children and teenagers.

The climbing opportunities on the south-facing Stafflacher Wand are particularly enjoyable in the fall.
There is a considerable network of climbing routes in the Wipptal, many of which were penned, or rather drilled, by Werner (Vals, Stafflacher Wand, Fußstein, Sillschlucht). However, the Wipptal also offers other very beautiful climbing destinations such as Obernberg or St. Magdalena in the Gschnitztal.

Tip: All climbing routes can also be found in the newly published climbing guidebook "Wipptal - Sportklettern südlich von Innsbruck". Available in bookshops or at the information office in Steinach. More about climbing in the Wipptal: www.wipptal.at/klettern