From Earth to Heaven 7+ is 550 meters multi-pitch sport route on Alpawand in Austria. Route offering nice climb on small holds on limestone. Last pitches (on The Nose) are outstanding! Alpawand (one of the highest wall in Reiteralm) is nice opportunity to short brake on travel to other alpine destinations. Altought route need endurance and solid climbing skill in seventh grade.

Also on Alpawand are some nice classic climbs (probably best know is Wassersymphonie [The Water Symphony] 8 [7- obl]).

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Tomasz Reinfuss on 6 or 7 pitch (chimneys)

Grade: 7+ (VII+ UIAA)
Length: 550 meters, 17 pitches
Time: 6-8 hours
Best time for climb: July-September
Localization: Austria / Berchtesgaden Alps / Reiteralm/ Alpawand (North face).
Character: well bolted climb, mainly slabs on small holds. Some chimneys and traverses.
First ascent: 2006, 23 September - Fritz Amann, Josef Brüderl and Willi Maier

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Damian Granowski going ahead on traverse on The Nose. Photo. Tomasz Reinfuss

Approach (1,5 hours)

Geogr. 47.625726 N 12.735989 E (619 m above sea level)
UTM 33T 329900 5277186
Above is destination for parking car (small village Reith). You choose direction to Trausteiner hut (good to have MTB - you can cut 30 minutes from Aprroach). When the patch go to foothill of the wall you will find small patch (goes to right) to the base of the Alpawand. You pass two rock steps (fixed ropes) and after you go to corner, where is belay stance (with table “From Earth to Heaven”).

If you will find the base of the route, then is hardly to get lost on route :-).

Route

From Earth to Heaven 7+ / Alpawand
 
Click for bigger fototopo From Earth to Heaven (in gallery)

Its good to wait minimum 1 day after rain, because Alpawand can be wet. Our first choice was Wassersymphonie 8, but it was completely wet at the bottom. From Earth to Heaven at the same day was dry.

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Typical slabs on the route

Be carefuly on first pitches where you can find “english gardens” (rotten rock and loose gras). Authors (?) put on first pitch fixed rope in one dangerous place.

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Corner in the upper part of the wall

From Earth to Heaven consist 17 pitches, which mostly has 5-6 grade. You have six 7th grade pitches. Crux of the route is on the top of the route :-). Alpawand is limestone climbing, and usually You will find tiny and sharp crimps. But don’t be affraid - There is also lot of good holds and quite nice formations. You will climb mainly on slabs, but there will be also:
corners, chimneys (6-7 pitch), traverses (highly recommended on The Nose). The routes ends on top of Alpawand (1671 above sea level).

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Tomasz Reinfuss below The Nose

Gear

Route is good bolted (there is some hard to clip bolts, but mainly is ok) and you don’t need take nuts and cams. Take:
2x50 m double rope.
14 quickdraws.
Personal gear.

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Unknow german climber on middle part of From Earth to Heaven

Descent

Its not recommended to do abseils (some traverses). From the exit of the route go right to the pines to the Gipfelschrofen. Then go left through steep Latschengassen down to alpine pasture. Here you will find path (yellow dots) to he Alpaalm (another alpine pasture with small hut). Go left by trail down to the valley.

 

Another option if weather is bad will be climbing in Dolomites.

Damian Granowski