Dalfazer Wände

The Dalfazer Wände rise as a rugged limestone crest in the Rofan range, a northern spur of the Brandenberger Alps in Tirol. The jagged ridge runs north to south for nearly two kilometres, its eastern face showing striped cliffs of multicoloured rock above green alpine meadows. From the west the slopes climb gently through short turf and broken stone before reaching the summits. A cable car from Maurach on the Achensee brings walkers and climbers to the high ground. At the southern end the Rotspitze offers the most dramatic rock faces and the longest climbing routes. The walls are built from layers of Hauptdolomit and Kössener limestone that weather into fertile soils for high pastures. Fossils of sea lilies and ammonites lie embedded in the rock, while the red cliffs of the Rotspitze come from Jurassic sea beds. The first climbers arrived in 1912, and since then routes have been opened up to UIAA grade VIII+. In 1931 Matthias Rebitsch made the first ascent of the Rotspitze’s south ridge, a climb still used today. Guidebooks and maps cover every path and pitch across the crest. Visitors step out at the top station of the Rofanseilbahn and find a network of signed trails winding over the ridge. The Erfurter Hütte sits at 1,831 metres just north of Maurach, a base for walks to the Dalfazer Joch and Köpfln. The southern face of the Rotspitze dominates views over the Achensee below. Alpine meadows and weathered slabs surround the peaks, while climbers test themselves on the striped walls. The air carries the scent of mountain flowers and the sound of wind through the cliffs.