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Elevation: 6,538 ft
GPS: 46.7754, 8.2791
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Page Views: 19,789 total · 105/month
Shared By: Colin Winter on Oct 18, 2008
Admins: Dan Flynn, Mark P.

Description Suggest change

A short approach, southern exposure, a stunning landscape and an abundance of easy to moderate routes... it is no mystery why this is one of the more popular crags in central Switzerland.

Melchsee-Frutt, where the crag is located, is a wonderfully humble village / ski resort situated high above the Melchtal valley.

In the village, there are numerous hotels with restaurants, as well as a small convenience store with all the indispensable items for a day on the rocks (i.e., beer, sausage, cheese, and of course butter, for those with a true appreciation for the crown jewel of Swiss dairy products).

The crag is a single band of rock that extends for several kilometers. The rock is a high-quality limestone, with distinct horizontal "layers." As a result, the routes are not always sustained, but particularly in the steeper sections where the upper layers protrude outwards, it can make for some extraordinary and airy climbing.

The rock band is divided into sectors ("sektors"), which are painted on the stone. These sectors make it easy to tell where you are, and to check out beta in the topos the resort publishes online.

The routes are well-protected, primarily single pitch affairs. Most of the routes are between 3-6b (french). There are only a handful of harder routes. At the base of each route, there is a sign with the name, grade and length. It doesn't get much more user-friendly than this.

Tip: On sunny winter days, you can climb here in a t-shirt and take in the views of the ski resort. As icing on the cake, you can ski or sled back down to your car in the evening!

Info, topo and local weather conditions at: melchsee-frutt.com.

Getting There Suggest change

Melchtal is a relatively quiet valley very close to Lucerne, and is accessible by public transport (bus) or car.

In the summer, the Melchsee-Frutt resort is accessible from the valley by car, via a windy, single-lane road that takes off from the valley floor at the end of the proper two-lane street. In both the summer and winter, the area can also be accessed by gondola for a fee (accepts Halbtax if you have one).

Note that the one-way road is open for uphill traffic on even hours, and downhill traffic on odd hours. In the summer, particularly on weekends, you may have to pay a toll to drive up.

From the resort, you walk along a paved road to the east for about 5 minutes that winds down to the small lake. From there, a clearly marked trail takes off left to access the crag. The first routes are just a few minutes away, the furthest 20-25 minutes.

18 Total Climbs

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Location: Bonistock / Melchsee-Frutt Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Bonistock / Melchsee-Frutt

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 4
Späckrösti 5c
Sport
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 4
Blitz 5c+
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Späckrösti 5c
 4
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
Blitz 5c+
 4
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
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