Gersau

A day of sport climbing at the Gersauer Klettergärten, the south-facing limestone crags above Gersau on Lake Lucerne, in canton Schwyz.

Gersauer Klettergärten, ~880 m / Sunneplättli, south-facing

Sport, single pitch / walls 6–25 m / limestone / most routes 4b–6c+, hardest to 7b+

The Gersauer Klettergärten sit on the slopes above Gersau, facing south across Lake Lucerne. Sunneplättli is the main sector, a slabby to vertical wall of rough limestone standing in open pine forest at around 880 m. Walls are 6 to 25 m, all single pitch, and the rock is pocketed and fluted from water erosion.

Most of the routes fall between 4b and 6c+, with a handful pushing to 7b+. The bolting is good — the crag was re-equipped in 1995. Because of the aspect and low altitude the place works well in winter and spring, and it is often too hot in summer. Fires and cigarettes are banned outright here; the forest is dry.

Logistics

Approach

Drive up from Gersau to the Cholerboden parking area, then follow the gravel road toward Ober Trid. About 200 m past the stream crossing, a cairn marks the turn-off left over boulders and up a clear path to the crag. 10–30 minutes depending on sector.