Limit - the best crags in Tirol

14 15 Maukspitze | Wilder Kaiser | Today it is no longer the most frequently visited mountain range in the Alps. Mobility has just changed too much. At that time, however, when the railway was still considered the most popular means of transport, it was easily accessible from Munich. Leuchs, a Doctor of Medicine who also came from Munich by the way, left his marks in the Wilder Kaiser. Nowadays, even a summit – the Leuchsturm, bears his name. Around 1900, Leuchs made countless first ascents and the most famous of the- se climbs is undoubtedly the Kopftörlgrat. Alongside the Jubiläumsgrat on the Zugspitze, this route is considered to be the most famous ridge crossing of the entire Northern Limestone Alps. The Kopftörlgrat, which never exceeds the lower fourth grade UIAA, reaches its end after six towers on the Ellmauer Halt (2,344 m). After initially scrambling through easy but rather exposed terrain, the difficulties keep rising constantly be- fore the crux is reached in the final chimney close to the summit. As Iris has already climbed 1,400 metres thus far, this part makes her breathe heavily. »It’s quite remarkable that Dr. Leuchs soloed this route back in 1900,« Iris acknowledges. The young lady from the Allgäu region is in the Wilder Kaiser for the first time and therefore shares the rope with a local mountain guide. Finding the right way through the maze of chimneys, slabs and towers is anything but trivial. Only a few pitons can be found and even anchors must be set up by the climbers self-responsibly. In contrast to the rather moderate climbing difficulties, this is the crux of the climb and each summer, mountain rescue teams have to save climbers who underestimate the ridge. With a local guide, however, the climb becomes a delightful experience. Particularly when it comes to climbing history, this rather small mountain range that only stretches 20 kilometres from east to west, comes out big. In no other part of the world, alpine history was written in such large chapters in such a small space. The »Koasa«, as the mountain range is lovingly called by the locals (don’t forget the characteristic Tyrolean »ck«) is a single book of alpinism. Tita Piaz, Hans Fiechtl, Hans Dülfer and Paul Preuss set new standards and revolutionized the sport prior to the First World War. Not for nothing the area was referred to as the »German University« of climbing where mountaineers found the ideal conditions for their experiments. Otto Herzog for example was the first to ever try a carabiner as a safety device at the Fleischbank Ostwand. Hans Dülfer developed the »Dülfersitz«, the state-of-the-art rappelling technique until the mid 60s. The Alps’ first bolts? The first route graded VII? The world’s most difficult alpine sport climbing route in 1993 »Des Kaisers neue Kleider«? Where are these milestones located? Take a guess... Iris did it. 2,344 metres above sea level, she glances south. »This contrast is just beautiful. Here the discouraging but at the same time attractive spikes and pinnacles and over there the gentle slopes of the Kitzbühler Alpen with their lush alpine pastures,« she says thoughtfully. Not only the surroundings, also the Koasa itself is rich in contrasts: Compact slabs, parallel cracks, chimneys and ridges offer a variety for every type of climber. No matter if you’re interested in slightly refurbis- hed classic routes created by Dülfer, Buhl Rebitsch and the like or if you prefer well-protected climbs with higher difficulties. You can be sure that the Wilder Kaiser offers it all. In the classic routes, old pitons have been replaced with solid bolts at the anchors and in some crucial spots. In between, however, climbers are required to act self-responsibly and must be able to use camming devices properly. On the other hand, Schneekar, Leuchsturm and Karlspitze are some of the cliffs where you can find a myriad of well-equipped alpine sport climbs in superb rock. New climbs are established every year to ensure that no one runs out of occupation. Back in the valley, Iris looks back with some pride. Her hands no longer hold warm rock, but an ice-cold beer (»Kaiserbier«). »Every metropolis would envy the locals here because of this natural skyline,« she observes with a smile. »To Dr. Leuchs! Cheers!« Lebendiger Geschichteunterricht Das Originalmaterial der Erstbegeher aus den 1960er Jahren findet sich noch im Südpfeiler. Die Holzkeile werden inzwischen mit Friends ergänzt. Auf die vielen rostigen Schlaghaken in der Tour müssen sich die Wiederholer aber nach wie vor verlassen. Denn viele Bohrhaken finden sich nicht in der Tour. Even today, some pitons from the first ascent can be found in the route. The historic wooden wedges can nowadays be replaced or at least supplemen- ted with cams. Sometimes, however, climbers need to trust in the old, rusty pitons since the climb isn’t equipped with a large amount of bolts. Scary Simon Berger klettert die stark überhängende und brüchige Schlüsselseillänge des Südpfeilers (9-) als Erster frei. 1963 – im Zeitalter des technischen Kletterns – eröffneten Seppi Spöck und Jürgen Vogt diese futuristische Route, die schnurgerade in der Linie des fallenden Tropfens am Pfeiler emporzieht. Simon Berger is the first to climb the steep and quite loose crux section of the south pillar (IX-). Back in 1963, when aid climbing was the thing, Seppi Spöck and Jürgen Vogt estab- lished this rather futuristic route which leads dead straight from the bottom to the top of the pillar. | Wilder Kaiser | Maukspitze Was für ein Pfeiler An der Maukspitze im Ostkaiser wurde Klettergeschichte geschrieben. Hermann Buhl konnte dort 1943 die Westwand erst- begehen. Der originale Buhlquergang wurde erst 2011 wiederholt. Mit von der Partie bei dieser Wiederholung war auch Christian »Hechei« Hechenberger, der gemeinsam mit Simon Berger den Pfeiler mustert. Dieses Mal wollen die beiden aber ein anderes geschichtsträchtiges Abenteuer angehen: den Südpfeiler. Alpine climbing history was written right here on the Maukspitze in the eastern part of the Wilder Kaiser range. Back in 1943, Hermann Buhl found a way through the steep, intimi- dating west face. It was not until 2011 that the original Buhl traverse got its first repetiti- on. Part of this team was Christian Hechen- berger. In this picture, he’s closely examining the pillar together with Simon Berger. Today, however, they are going to try another route rich in history: the south pillar.