Güllich was more than a one-dimensional climber, rather he pushed its limits on all fronts. He put down hard routes in the Frankenjura, at legendary French crags of Buoux, Verdon, on the Gritstone of the UK’s Peak District and at our beloved Mt Arapiles. He trad climbed in Yosemite, which culminated in the striking solo ascent of Separate Reality (5.12a/24), and made expeditions to Trango in Pakistan and Patagonia, where he established iconic routes including the Yugoslavian Route, Eternal Flame and Riders on the Storm.
With similarities to what he found at Yosemite, Güllich thoroughly enjoyed the laid back nature of the climbing community at Mt Arapiles in the mid ‘80s, which was a far cry from increasingly competitive scene in Europe. Sleeping in and spending quality time at the pub with a little bit of climbing thrown in was a lifestyle he revelled in. And the more casual pace of life obviously didn’t affect his performance on rock with an onsight of Yesterday Direct (at 28 perhaps one of the hardest onsights in the world at the time), first ascents of Wisdom of Body (30) and, of course, the technical and powerful Punks in the Gym.
Apart from Ben Moon’s Hubble – which, though graded 8c+/34 Wolfgang always thought of as a soft 8c – from 1984 to 1991, Güllich established every major grade from 8b (31) to 9a (35) making him one of, if not the most successful climber of his time.
http://www.verticallifemag.com.au/2013/08/the-anniversary-of-the-death-wolfgang-gullich/
Vertical Life Magazine, Australia
Let us know!