Trip Report
Heckmaier route on Eiger (spring 2007)
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Wednesday November 25, 2015 11:33am
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Someone wanted to see photos from the Eiger in Switzerland, so I'll post a few here. Anyone who can lead 5.8 rock can physically do this climb as most of it is scrambling, but you better not fall, because then you will pull out the belay and take your partner with you!
I never actually got a good photo of the north face, so let's just begin with a classic butt shot instead...
KristofferSzilas
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About the Author
Kristoffer Szilas is a mountain climber from Denmark. |
Comments
kaholatingtong
Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
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Nov 25, 2015 - 11:54am PT
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Awesome pics, thanks!
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Nov 25, 2015 - 12:25pm PT
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Thank you very much for those superb pictures. Each really is worth a thousand words.
John
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WBraun
climber
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Nov 25, 2015 - 12:32pm PT
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Has Donald Trump done this route yet??
Thanks Kris ..... :-)
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Nov 25, 2015 - 12:53pm PT
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Great pics from legendary route...
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Nov 25, 2015 - 01:15pm PT
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Thanks for posting this TR.
Anyone who can lead 5.8 rock can physically do this climb as most of it is scrambling, but you better not fall, because then you will pull out the belay and take your partner with you!
Interesting comment. Didn't Heckmaier (or Harrer?) fall in the Exit Cracks during the first ascent? I think whoever fell landed on the belayer and put a crampon through the belayer's hand.
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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Nov 25, 2015 - 01:17pm PT
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Looks pretty high from those views!
That Bivvy looked cold
Good one!
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 25, 2015 - 01:42pm PT
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5.8 on a big limestone face bears little relation to 5.8 elsewhere.
My friend Kevin climbed this route in 1983 with a Scottish guy who was experienced on Scottish mixed, rock, and ice, but had never been on a big mountain! Kevin later said "He slowed us down we should have been able to do it in 12 hours instead on 18."
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KristofferSzilas
Mountain climber
Denmark
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Author's Reply
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Nov 25, 2015 - 01:55pm PT
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Didn't Heckmaier (or Harrer?) fall in the Exit Cracks during the first ascent? I think whoever fell landed on the belayer and put a crampon through the belayer's hand.
Don't remember where that fall was taken, but probably a good thing to land on the belayer, rather than falling past the anchor, even when wearing crampons. I do remember something about them downing liquid amphetamine afterwards to be able to proceed...
My comment was mostly to not invite people to attempt the climb unless they realize that they may actually die on this one. Every single belay anchor on this route is total crap and most of the time you are clipping in situ rotten pitons and wooden blocks. The only solid rock found on this climb is on the difficult crack (limestone) and even then most of the cracks are flaring and won't take much good gear. The rest of the route is a pile of shale.
If you take a fall on the 'Ice Hose' or 'Traverse of the Gods' pitches, you and our belayer will likely be off the mountain...
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Nov 25, 2015 - 02:26pm PT
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Thank you for all these awesome reports. Highly appreciate the climbing content!
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 25, 2015 - 02:41pm PT
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Don't fall on a big alpine wall. Good advice.
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Roots
Mountain climber
Somewhere Fun
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Nov 25, 2015 - 03:25pm PT
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Yes!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 25, 2015 - 04:39pm PT
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Sweet KS! You have really knocked off some of the world's classics. 5.8 eh.....and a few other tricks in the bag.
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namascar
Trad climber
Pasadena, CA
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Nov 25, 2015 - 07:36pm PT
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super classic!
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KristofferSzilas
Mountain climber
Denmark
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Author's Reply
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Nov 25, 2015 - 09:08pm PT
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Jim, you would know better than most that a climber is not defined by success and classics, but by the ones that got away because they where right at the limit. For me that were climbs such as Moonflower, Cholatse and Taulliraju.
Apart from Latok you must have quite a few too?
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WyoRockMan
climber
Grizzlyville, WY
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Nov 26, 2015 - 10:51am PT
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Way cool! Thanks for sharing!
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Nov 27, 2015 - 06:28pm PT
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thanks for sharing ,
Scary looking rock there!
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Nov 28, 2015 - 06:40am PT
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Thanks for the report...sounds so inviting. Crappy rock and shitty pro seems a recurring theme.
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roy
Social climber
NZ -> SB,CA -> Zurich
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Nov 28, 2015 - 09:19am PT
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Great trip report and an iconic climb. Cheers, Roy
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Nov 29, 2015 - 07:46am PT
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Wow, scary stuff. Grades sure can be deceiving.
Thanks for the great photos and story.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Pucker factor
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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I could shoot myself for not doing this when I had a chance.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Hey thanks for sharing! I've read about this route since a youngster.
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Gunkie
Trad climber
Valles Marineris
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Apr 21, 2016 - 10:09am PT
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Outrageously awesome! Just WOW.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Apr 21, 2016 - 06:31pm PT
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Thanks for the photos and scary tidbits of this Classic-Yes, looks and sounds like all my images of the wall since reading the first ascent as a kid.
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