Wienerwald is the beautiful, hilly forest located southwest from Vienna. Peilstein, Thalhofergrat and Hohe Wand are some of the most known climbing areas in the forest, and well within an hour's drive from the city. While Hohe Wand is probably the biggest rock face in the forest, there are shorter multipitch routes on almost every crag.
Peilstein is one of the best places to train multipitch climbing. Rock is solid, most of the bolts are glue-in bolts and anchors are usually equipped with a chain and a “pigtail” or ring for rappelling. The easiest bolted multipitch route is Alpenklubsteig (2+, 2, 2), and you can find some seriously good climbing around grade 3. Altogether, there are about 1000 routes, and the hardest route is 8c+. I think it is fair to say: there are routes for everyone.
Those who are interested in about grade 3 multipitch climbing might also appreciate the fact that you can get beer not only from the parking lot, but also from the top of Peilstein.
Kari and Atte came by to have a climbing course
Kari on Vegetariersteig 3
Vegetarierkante 4 is a bit sparsely bolted, but you can put some gear between the bolts, as the route follows a crack system.
Climbing is quite exposed for the grade
Belaying from the top of Vegetarierkante
Atte starts rappelling
You can usually get down by rappelling twice with a 60-meter rope
Kari on Linker Balloun 4+
Atte belaying on the top of Teufelsbadstubensteig 2, this is nice way to continue Linker Balloun
Atte on Alpenklubsteig 2+, once again, pretty good climbing for the grade.
Atte felt strong enough to take the overhanging Herrenklubsteig 3+ variation
Mandatory photo from the top of Cimone. There are many routes to the top, but Weg der Erstersteigen 3+, 90 m is the most popular.
Next stop, Hohe Wand
Kari on Draschgrat 5+, 200m
This is the first pillar on the route
Atte on the top of the first pillar
Kari on an overhanging section on the second pillar
Atte following an easy arête
Kari aka "When I was in Nam"
An overhanging crack system is the route crux
The third pillar
Kari starts the seventh and last pitch
Neue Turnerbergsteigen-Kante 7, is visible on the background. The route goes on steep pillar and is "one of the best and nicest pleasure-climbing routes at Hohe Wand". Easy to believe.
The end of Draschgrat is steep and juggy
On the top!
Arnstein is known for steep sport climbing, but there are several multipitch routes as well.
Kari on Mutzsteig 5
An overhanging jug fest
Atte continues via Zigeunerquergang 4
The pillar would be the third pitch, but bolts have been recently removed to protect the narrow pillar
Atte on Mayerfährte 3-
Kari and Atte stayed in Austria for the whole week, so we had plenty of time for both climbing and practicing different situations
This is what people usually do in Arnsteinhöhle. Me on Desire 9. It goes through the whole roof and is the best and hardest 7c:ish route in the cave
Climbing might be fun, but this is still the best part of the day
