Icefalls · Fürenalp · Engelberg Valley
Ice climbing Herrenrüti – Slithering – Furrows
Around the Fürenalpbahn parking lot, there are short ice steps and longer lines in the streams. At Schlangegg you will find a compact training area; the Hundsbachrinne connects several ice steps into a multi-level tour. The waterfall near the restaurant is explicitly not a climbing destination due to the risk of flooding.
- Difficulty
- WI2– to WI5 · M8
- Length
- 10–230 m
- boarding
- 2–30 min
- Starting point
- Parking lot Fürenalpbahn
- Altitude
- 1100 m above sea level.
- Season
- January–February
- Aspect
- N/SW
- Character
- Ice steps · Bach gutters · Multiple lengths
The area overview summarizes the icefalls with 20–130 m. Individual lines deviate from this: short steps of 10 m as well as routes with 135 m and 230 m.
Starting point and access
boarding
From the Fürenalpbahn parking lot, you can reach the entrances in 2–30 minutes. The ice falls are distributed over the valley entrance, Schlangegg Südwest near the blowhole, and Schlänggen Nord in the forest.
Assigning lines
Area and route overview
Route data and detailed maps
Route description
Compare difficulty, length and material. You can open the appropriate topo directly in the respective route box.
Snowflake
- Length
- 95 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
A well-visible line with three pitches: 30 m to 80°, 30 m to 85° and 35 m to 90°. The finishing point is at a tree.
Furious incident
- Length
- 135 m · 3 SL
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Three unequal lengths of rope; the character is not consistently homogeneous.
Waterfall at the restaurant
- Length
- 45 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Risk of flooding. Do not climb this line.
Left wing · Schlangegg
- Length
- 10 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Short step in the beginner area near the blasting hole.
Right level · Schlangegg
- Length
- 12 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Short step in the beginner area near the blasting hole.
Schlangegg left
- Length
- 25 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Left line in the southwest sector at the blast hole.
Snake egg on the right
- Length
- 25 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Right line in the southwest sector at the blast hole.
Explosion
- Length
- 25 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Mixed line through the opening hole.
Dog pond
- Length
- 230 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Stepped line in a ditch. The topo also shows a small pillar and in the upper part a direct variant with WI5.
Unnamed right · Slithering north
- Length
- 105 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Line located in the forest; do not underestimate it despite its manageable length.
Unnamed left · Slithering north
- Length
- 105 m
- Rope
- Material
- Hedging
Left line in the northern forest sector.
Plan the return journey
Descent
The topo shows the abseil points for the snowflake and a tree at the exit. The Hundsbach stream has trees and individual abseil points marked. Further information about the return route of the short lines is missing.
Ice formation and objective hazards
Safety and conditions
There is a risk of flooding at the waterfall at the restaurant: do not climb. The designation as an introductory area refers to the selected short steps and the stepped nature of the Hundsbach stream. Untitled to the right should not be underestimated.
Check before the tour current conditions in Engelberg, that SLF avalanche bulletin and the weather development. The seasonal timeframes and walk-through photos do not replace an up-to-date assessment.
Ice and mixed in detail
Insights into the routes
Briefly answered
Questions about Herrenrüti – Schlänggen – Füren
Which lines are suitable for first steps?
The left and right slopes at Schlangegg are described as beginner areas. The Hundsbach run is a multi-level slope with WI3–4; a direct variant reaches WI5.
How long is the approach walk?
From the Fürenalpbahn parking lot, it takes 2–30 minutes depending on the entrance.
May I climb the waterfall at the restaurant?
No. Due to the risk of flooding, this waterfall is not allowed to be climbed.
Dani Perret · UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide · Engelberg
Ice climbing tour with a mountain guide
Do you want to plan a line or work on your technique in the ice and mixed-surface area? Write to me about your experience and the goal you are interested in.
Further in the tour database
