The wide open spaces: trees and mountains like in the Rocky Mountains. Except that the CO2 footprint of a trip to the Ötztal is a little smaller. Magdalena Hofinger and Chanti Gründler test the Canadaesque gneiss in "Utopia" (8-).
Utopian!This is how something is dismissed when an idea is considered unrealistic, even unrealizable. But for Magdalena, the features of "Utopia" are anything but utopian. She walks through the key passage with a sense of reality.
"What are mountains? A pile of stones? Or a playground for our dreams, adventures ... A circus in which we ourselves are the tamers of our deeds?"
Theselines were penned by Reinhard Schiestl, whose name is inextricably linked with the history of climbing in Ötztal. He was not only the author of melodious poetry, but also the creator of countless climbing routes. Until his tragic death in a car accident in 1995, the primary school teacher was one of the world's best alpinists. As a teacher, he not only taught Ötztal children arithmetic and writing, but also climbing. His seeds were sown and his climbing school produced World Cup climbers and professional alpinists such as Hansjörg Auer.
"Schmoaß" means "happiness" in the Ötztal dialect, which has been on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List since 2010. Chanti can also consider himself lucky, because what could be better than screwing up the typical Nösslach lasts?
Steep literature In 1516, Thomas More published his work "Utopia". In it, he outlines an ideal but fictitious future social order. Unfortunately, Chanti's background knowledge of the route name is of no use whatsoever in solving what lies ahead.
But the climbing gardens also flourished. There are now around 750 well-secured routes in Ötztal and a new generation of fit climbers. And just as for Reinhard or Hansjörg, for 22-year-old Tobias Holzknecht and 20-year-old Leo Moser the mountains of their homeland are far more than just a pile of rocks. For them, the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" route is the fulfillment of a small but beautiful climbing dream right on their doorstep - even if the name may promise something completely different. And at the same time a projection screen for their unfulfilled longings:
Traumtänzer In the eight pitches of the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", difficulties up to 9+/10- await the repeaters. But that doesn't put all-round alpinist Tobias Holzknecht off his stride.
"The rock in Nösslach is said to have a certain similarity to the famous Squamish in Canada. I'd like to go to Canada one day to see if that's actually true," says Leo.
Young and dynamic Leo Moser is one of the young, wild Ötztalers who have grown up and become strong on the local rocks. A little more stretching and he has the key rope length of the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" in his pocket.
LIMIT #2: Alpine climbing in Tyrol - the hot-off-the-press issue!
In this issue, we have dedicated ourselves entirely to alpine climbing in Tyrol. On 136 pages, we present the impressive vertical diversity of Tyrol. With exciting stories from 15 climbing spots that offer a deep insight into the history of alpine climbing in Tyrol.
Nösslach / Route 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' Nösslach / Route 'Utopia' All climbing opportunities in the Ötztal region All articles of the Ötztal region
