Limit - the best crags in Tirol

46 47 Schüsselkar | Leutasch | erhaps »Locker vom Hocker« can be seen as the best alpine crime novel that has ever been written. By definition, a successful crime novel requires a constant level of tension which has to be upheld throughout the plot. Apart from that, elements of a true thriller are also found in a crime novel. Definitely, »Locker vom Hocker« fulfills these attributes thor- oughly and it is even more tragic that the authors of this superb story have already passed away. Back in the days, Kurt Albert and Wolf- gang Güllich knew perfectly well how to create an arc of suspense with the necessary features to inspire generations of future climbers. The mere sight of the line and of the first pitch in particular makes one’s blood run cold and even hard-bitten alpinists are deeply im- pressed. The first pitch follows a steep crack to the right and offers one single piton just before the belay of fixed gear. That’s it. It comes as no surprise that climbers have to be familiar with nuts and friends and placing their gear self-responsibly and reliably. But even with these skills, the climb will remain a challenge for experienced parties. Two climbers who definitely seem to have what it takes to repeat the route successfully, are Much Mayr and Peter Mühlburger. Much and Peter got to know each other when Peter joined the team »Junge Alpinisten«. This program by the Austrian Alpine Club offers young, strong and motivated climbers the opportunity to improve their skills by learning from experienced world-class alpinists. Much is one of the so-called mentors in this program, and together they’ve already made an expedition to the Himalaya. Peter and Much have climbed in large parts of the world from the Rocky Mountains to the Himalaya range, but they’ve never climbed »Locker vom Hocker«. This is about to change today as the two climbers arrange their gear at the base of the climb. Peter is impressed by the direct, uncompromising line. »To me, it’s a true king line,« he says. »Güllich and Albert were ahead of their time, real visionaries,« Much adds. He even has some personal connecti- on to the two legendary climbers. As an adolescent, Much went to see a presentation by Wolfgang Güllich in Innsbruck and afterwards, climbing became the most important activity in his life. Together with Kurt Albert, Much spent some time in Southern France where they offered climbing camps for teens. »Kurt was an extremely cool guy – his views, his jokes, his whole personality would leave a lasting impression,« Much explains. »Therefore, »Locker vom Hocker« is a really special route for me thanks to this connection to Kurt Albert and Wolfgang Güllich.« Back to today’s route: It’s Peter’s turn for the fourth pitch, the crux in the VIII grade. The crux is a slab which can only be protected with a single nut and there’s a bunch of wild stories about this passage as is proper for a thriller: Wide falls of 20 metres, sprained ankles, broken bones and spectacular helicopter operations have taken place here. Once, the nut wasn’t able to catch the climber, but it was ripped out: A fractured ankle and serious head injuries were the severe conse- quences for the climber. Peter is aware of these accidents and sets off for the sneaky passage which requires some trust in the friction of your climbing shoes. A tiny hold for his left and the tips of his toes on two slopy footholds. His right hand searches for the vital hold to esca- pe this awkward passage. Here it is! Done! That’s the happy ending to the alpine crime novel. P Ozean aus Grau Peter knapp über der Schlüsselstelle (8-/8) in der 4. Seil- länge. Jetzt wird es zwar eine Spur leichter, aber nicht weniger nervenaufreibend. Denn mit zwei Bohrhaken insgesamt ist die Seillänge äußerst anspruchsvoll. Pete climbing just above the crux of the fourth pitch (VIII-/VIII). The climbing gets slightly easier but stays mentally challenging. Two bolts for the whole pitch is all you’ve got here. | Leutasch | Schüsselkar