Bonistock / Melchsee-Frutt  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Lat, Long:  46.7754, 8.2791 Map Page Views:  1,963. Good page? (1 like)    Administrators:  Dan Flynn, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Colin Winter on Oct 18, 2008 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Eiger Live, 7a

Description 

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 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: www.melchsee-frutt.com.

Getting There 

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.

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. From there, a clearly marked trail takes off to access the crag. The first routes are just a few minutes away, the furthest 20-25 minutes.

The Classics

Featured Route For Bonistock / Melchsee-Frutt

Sennächäppi 7a 5.11d  International : Europe : ... : Bonistock / Melchsee-Frutt

7a10m easy, 10m hard, 10m easy.Hard climbing involves delicate traversing, crimping, and a bouldery move on good holds. Wicked fun.The anchor is far up to the left after pulling the roof....[more]   Browse More Classics in International

Photos of Bonistock / Melchsee-Frutt Slideshow

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Out of the soup! In the gondola heading up to the ...	Tanja "Tanjanator" Winter sending.	The approach in winter
Ossian "Oz bozz" B powering through some steep stu...	Views from the crag - a large cable car serving th...	Views from the crag in winter.
Tanja "Tanjanator" Winter sending	Lowering off of Späckrösti, a superb 6a.	A great fire pit near the shore of the Melchsee.
Traffic jam, Swiss style, in Melchtal... even if i...	Working hard on Eiger Live, 7a.	Melchsee panorama view from the crag
Melchsee reflections, in autumn	Melchsee reflections, in autumn	BETA PHOTO: The stoplight for the road to Melchsee. The toll ...
views from the crag in early spring	Marmots in their environment	Most comfortable belay. Ever.