Ice Exploring - Meiental, Meien

The Meiental is the side valley that leaves the Reuss at Wassen (916 m) and climbs west towards the Susten pass. The hamlet of Meien sits at about 1278 m, Färnigen a little higher, and Gorezmettlen at 1560 m marks roughly where the winter road ends. This was a day spent walking around it, having a picnic and looking at the ice.

Meiental / Meien, 1278 m - valley ice falls

Meienlochfall WI3, 3 pitches / Amphitheater wall 60-80 m, WI3- to WI4+

The obvious line here is the Meienlochfall, graded WI3. It hangs in plain sight of the road and the village, which makes judging it from the car easy and probably explains a good part of its popularity. Reports describe it in three pitches, with the upper section needing a proper cold spell before it comes into decent condition; the lower pitch tends to take screws well long before the top does.

Logistics

Approach

• Meienlochfall: from the village across the bridge over the Meienreuss, then up the avalanche cone, about 45 min. Snowshoes help.
• Amphitheater: roughly 1.5 h from Meien on skis.