Archive: 22. September 2014

The Music of Hope

22. September 2014

Finally I managed to finish off another project on Kristallwand. A steep rock face hidden in Gaisbergtal in the Ötztal Alps, which is mainly charactarized by chossy rock, just a few obvious lines and a really steep overhang.

After I made the first ascent of „The Music of Chance“ (6c/A3/500m) in winter 2012, I came back with David Lama last January to attempt a new and more free climbable line to the right without using bolts. Steep terrain, really loose flakes and some bad whippers forced us to retreat at half height. “We didn´t want to come back after that first try. Without taking a lot of risk you won’t climb that line. The Masherbrum Project was at stake.”

Nevertheless I was thinking a lot if it would make sense to come back in summer for another attempt. My vision to open this line without bolts was still in my mind. I asked my friend Gerri Fiegl to join me. On 9th of September, after 9 nerve-wracking hours of climbing and 12 pitches, shrouded in mist and clouds we were on top.

Name: ’The Music of Hope’ (7a/A1/500m)

Location: Kristallwand at Kirchkogel (3280m) – Ötztal Alps

Protection: mainly Bird Beaks, no bolts

 

Masherbrum 2014

18. August 2014

Flashback. An Austrian Expedition, led by Robert Renzler, climbed the Northface of Masherbrum in 1985. They started from Mandu Valley, got over some pretty scary serac zones and summited as a team of three on July 24. Andreas Orgler, Michael Larcher and Robert Renzler opened a great line. “I will roll the stone up to the summit. A stone formed out of ambition, self-awareness and love for the adventure.”, was the title of their written report afterwords.

My family had somehow a special realtionship to this expedition because one of the members, Christoph Rimml, grew up in my home village Umhausen and was a good friend of my father. Together they competed at skimountaineering races in the early 80’s. Unfortunately Christoph is no longer with us, due to an avalanche accident 14 years ago.

Always I’ve dreamed about this mountain. Even more during my Trango Valley Expedition in 2006. Every morning I saw Masherbrum when I opened my tent in Basecamp. A mountain which is hard to beat in beauty. Until now, the Northeastface remained unclimbed and is without doubt one of hardest challenges in the Karakorum. Not only the massive headwall, a monolith on it´s own at 7000+ meters, makes you feel really small and humble.

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Unfortunately there is not so much to tell about this years attempt. In the end Peter, David and I didn’t succeed in doing the first ascent of the unclimbed face. There are no excuses. This project is simply a different league in terms of climbing difficulties, complexitiy and the dimensions itself.

We acclimatized on Broad Peak (8051m). Climbed three loops up and down to Camp 3 at around 7000m. We had a good time in early season with lot’s of snow, but therefore we were the only expedition in the whole Baltoro region, which made everything kind of unique and really enjoyable. When the first teams for the 8000m peaks arrived we changed to Masherbrum Basecamp, which lies on a green terrace just above the wild Yermanendu Glacier. An oasis of bouldering and highlining right below the intimidating Northeastface. But this place had its price. The porters striked lower down and we had to carry up everything by our own.

However, the day arrived, we’ve all been dreaming for a long time. We felt ready to assume the risk of going for it. And we did. But after 350m of easy climbing during really bad snow conditions and surviving two avalanches, we recognised that there is no chance to get to the summit this time.

Forced to turn back we arrived to Basecamp the same day. While waiting for two more weeks the conditions on the mountain got even worse. It was snowing for more than one week and I still here the drumming noise of the avalanches going down the face.

Finally we had to take the decision. It’s always hard to accept that the mountain is stronger. But after more than 8 weeks in high altitude our bodies were worn out. We packed down our Camp and walked back along the moraines of the Baltoro Glacier to Askole. The Masherbrum Northeastface remains unclimbed and I will come back in future.

Thanks for the pics to Manuel Ferrigato and Mungo Hanslmayr. Furthermore to the rest of the gang (Alfi, Andreas, Othmar, Roland) and Servus TV/Red Bull.

Ötztal Traverse

18. Februar 2014

I was not expecting such a hard time while completing a project, which was a long cherished dream of myself.

In general I’ve always many climbing projects in my mind. Instead of having a clear structure of doing next I’m more trusting my inner voice to find out where I want to put my energy. It often happens that I wake up in the morning and feel this strong power which drives me of doing something on my limit. And from time to time I get the desire setting off alone to act out my feelings and emotions at it’s deepest and to get happy.

Since I’ve heard that legendary Reinhard Schiestl climbed a really long and sustained ridge traverse in my home mountains in winter back in the late 80’s, I always wanted to repeat his achievement in same style. I just couldn’t find the right moment and motivation to pull myself together, pack the backpack, take the headlamp and go.

Ridge climbing is one of the most exhausting things you can do. To do this in winter and alone is a completely different game and requires a lot of mental strength not to mention the physical shape and climbing abilities you must have. The feeling of connecting summits over asthetic lines, mostly on the direct and exposed way is simply inspiring.

From the 12th to the 13th of February I managed to climb from Gamskogel (2813m) to Wilde Leck (3361m) in the Stubai Alps along a 10km long ridge with difficulties up to UIAA grade 4. I want to make no bones about it and it may sound exaggerated to speak about a big achievement, but in the end this project pushed me once again to my limit and I was so close to give up. Many cornices and not the best conditions forced me to fight really hard. After I’ve stood on the last summit I decided to abseil down it’s southface. Normally it’s pretty easy and you just climb down but as the wind was getting stronger and stronger the whole face was covered in ice within short time. Having only a 5mm 60m rope which was getting shorter and shorter as I had to cut off many slings and close to puke, I was really relieved to reach the glacier 2,5 hours later.

As it was getting dark on my down the Sulztal Valley just on the last steep slopes I saw someone coming towards me. It was my brother Matthias who came up with a Coke to give me support during the last hours of the 24km round trip. Maybe he’s the only one to qualify what I went through over this 40 hours push, not only because he is my brother.