ᐅ Summit No. 7 Vorder Grauspitz (Liechtenstein)

SUMMITS

SUMMIT Nº 7: VORDER GRAUSPITZ (LIECHTENSTEIN)

LIECHTENSTEIN

VORDER GRAUSPITZ

10 / 06 / 2022

ALTITUDE

2.599 m

ÒSCAR SOLSONA AND ANDREU LÓPEZ

DIFFICULTY LEVEL

HIGH

CHRONICLE

It seems that the Top Summits are picking up a cruising pace. After COVID-19 stopped planetary mobility in 2020 and for a good part of 2021, in this second part of 2021 we have already completed the ascents of Mount Olymp (Greece) and Toubkal (Morocco). The program for the year 2022 is still very active in this 5-day outing through northern Germany, the Austrian Tyrol and in Liechtenstein we will try to reach the ceiling of Germany (Zugspitze with 2,982 meters) and that of Liechtenstein (Vorder Grauspitz with 2,599 meters).

But before advancing on the trip, we get to know a little about this small country that can be assimilated to the Principality of Andorra. The Principiat of Liechtenstein is a small state in Alpine Europe bordered by Switzerland to the west and Austria to the east. Like Switzerland, it is not part of the European Union or landlocked and is known to be a tax haven. Its neighborhood with Switzerland is of great political relevance as international relations are coordinated by the Swiss country as well as its military defense. The country has a total population of around 40,000 people and its capital is Vaduz, which has less than 6,000 inhabitants. The official language is German and its economic bases are tourism and financial services that benefit from tax conditions.

We landed at the Munich airport and from there, after taking our rental vehicle, we went to our hotel. It’s late and we just have time to ask for a “delivery” to be delivered to our room, which is quite an effective option since the pizzas were quite good.

Our first day of sightseeing was dedicated to getting to know the center of Munich, beyond its main square (Marienplatz), its markets (Viktualienmarkt), the occasional park (Englischer Garten) as well as a brewery (the Hofbräuhaus is highly recommended for its almost 5 centuries of history), it does not present great attractions and makes dedicating a day a sufficient period of time. The Bavarian weather is not very favorable for us with significant rains that accompany us during a good part of our visit.

After a good meal in the main Marienplatz square, the heart of Munich and a key point in its historic center, we head towards Liechtenstein, which arouses great curiosity in us. It really is a very mountainous terrain for almost its entire length and is located in the Rhine Valley in the Alps. We stayed in a beautiful accommodation with magnificent views of the mountains that we will visit the next day. But first, it’s time for a bit of urban tourism and we are going to visit the capital Vaduz and we will take advantage of these lines to make a recommendation and that is that it is not highly recommended for your pocket to spend many days in the country; a bottle of water cost us 9 euros (a memory forever and ever).

We begin the ascent to Steg (1,302m) and the first kilometers pass through forests and practically without gaining altitude. At all times we follow the course of the river that takes us to an elevation of 2,000 meters, a point that represents a turning point in our route since the snow begins to make an appearance. We can avoid it for a while as well as the use of crampons and ice ax but not for too long since the slope becomes steep and the snow abundant. I am surprised by the hardness of the ascent and it is that in this small country at no time is it synonymous with Top Summit easy to ascend.

After a few minutes of working intensely on the lower trunk, we reached the end of the snow wall and reached the top of the gorge. There have been 400 meters of positive elevation gain without respite, good physical work… Above the careening we can see the first objective of the day, which is the Hinter Grauspitz (2,571 meters) and after a beautiful ridge where we can see Switzerland on the left and on the right, Liechtenstein, is present.

From the top of the Hunter Grauspitz, the “great” objective of the day can be seen in the distance, which is none other than the Vorder Grauspitz. Although they have a similar height that may a priori indicate little difficulty, this will not be the case since between one and the other you have to “save” an important ravine to then regain height. The terrain is quite steep downhill as well as technical but I experience like a vision, a state of great lucidity and confidence to do it. I am about to start the descent when I realize that the “partner” does not follow and it is that Òscar does not see anything clear and decides that there are enough strong emotions for today and he will stay waiting for me in the Hinter.

It is a strange and new sensation for me to be separated from my partner on the mountain from another country and the fact that there are no people ahead ascending to the summit as well as a fog that makes vision difficult adds an extra tension.

Despite the fog I see the way clearly

With great agility I managed to save the difficult climb, I passed a section of rocks and I already see what will be my last climb before the summit. Upstairs, although the view is not perfect, it allows you to contemplate Switzerland and its beautiful lakes, Liechtenstein as well as Austria… I am very happy to have arrived since it has not been easy at all.

A mountain outing ends when you get to the car and this is always very clear to me. I do not lower the level of tension, attention and focus despite having reached the summit since until I meet again with Òscar Solsona, I still have to complete the technical section carried out previously but in reverse.

I am very hungry, I am thirsty, exhausted… the technical difficulty of the terrain led me to leave my backpack and food together with Òscar. When I reach the height of the backpack I scream, I scream very loud.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Vorder Grauspitz is a mountain with a certain complexity and precautions must be taken. On the Grauspitz route, a helmet is highly recommended, as well as evaluating, depending on the time of year, whether crampons and an ice ax are necessary.