Fritz Sikorovsky

Fritz “Sikerl” Sikorovsky (born May 20, 1915 in Leibnitz ; † November 20, 1995 ) was an Austrian mountaineer who made several first ascents, mainly in the Gesäuse and the Hochschwab group . He was one of the first alpinists to be able to tackle routes of the highest level of difficulty (VI +) at the time.

biography

The trained Bauspengler lived in Graz and later worked as a fitter for an oil company. As a child and adolescent he liked to climb caves, where he first climbed the Kellerhals to the Schöckl's small weather hole for the Speleological Regional Association. The cave explorer Karl Wüstner recognized his talent and was able to persuade him to mountaineering in 1933. His first (easy) tours in the Hochschwab group, the local mountains of Graz climbers, were the Baumgartner route in the Winkelkogel north-west face and the Günther-way in the Hochschwab south face. In 1934 he increased the difficulties with, among other things, the ninth ascent of the Winkelkogel north-west pillar ( difficulty 6- ) and a first winter ascent in the Kalbling south-east face ( Gesäuse ).

In 1935 the first winter ascent of the Günther-Weg on the Winkelkogel followed, the first ascent of the Hofertalturm north face and the first ascent of the Schartenspitz south-west face. In the same year he was accepted into the Austrian Tourist Club. In 1936 he repeated well-known difficult routes such as the south face of the Großer Festlbeilstein (3rd ascent ) and the Höllmauer-Südpfeiler (4th ascent).

From June 13th to 16th, 1936 he and Raimund Schinko managed the first ascent of the Dachl-Rosskuppen intersection, which for a long time was considered the most difficult tour in the Gesäuse (UIAA 6+). Up until then, numerous top climbers such as B. the rope team Fritz Kasparek and Sepp Brunhuber failed. Because of its extraordinary difficulties at the time, this route was also known as the “death intersection” for a long time, although no alpinist had died in it up to and including the first ascent. Sikorovsky's report on the inspection appeared in 1979 in the commemorative publications “50 Years of the Mountain Climber Group in the Austrian Tourist Club” and “100 Years of the Austrian Tourist Club Graz” as well as in the “ Bergsteiger ”. Numerous alpinists failed in attempts to repeat the route in the following years, mostly because of the rope length known as the "Holzkeil-Transverse crack" or "Holzpackl-Quergang", one of the key points. Leo Forstenlechner and Karl Wagner made the second ascent in August 1948. Since then, the route has been used by many top alpinists such as Walter Almberger , Hans Bärnthaler , Karl Golikow , Richard Hoyer , Toni Hiebeler , Leo Schlömmer ( single-handedly , 1963), Klaus Hoi and Hugo Climbed stilted.

In 1938 the Sikorovsky / Schinko team caused a sensation with another difficult first ascent, the Stangenwand-Südostwand. This route could not be repeated for a long time (until 1947). In 1939 he first climbed the north face of the Koschutnikturm. During the Second World War he served in the mountain troops, where he led General Eduard Dietl to the Grossglockner during a high mountain training course .

During the Second World War , in 1940, as part of the Buffalo Company , he led a nine-man exploration group over 220 km of the pathless Norwegian mountainous region between Sørfold and Narvik .

First ascents

• 1934: First winter ascent on the Kalbling- Südostwand (IV), Gesäuse
• 1935: First winter ascent of the "Günther-Weg" in the Hochschwab- Südwand (V), Hochschwab
• 1935: First ascent of the north face of the Hofertal tower (V +), Hochschwab
• 1935: First ascent of the route "Hakentechnisch in Vollendung" (VI +) in the Schartenspitze-Südwestwand, Hochschwab
• 1936: First ascent of the Dachl-Rosskuppen intersection (VI +), Gesäuse
• 1938: First ascent of the Stangenwand southeast face (VI +), Hochschwab
• 1939: First ascent of the Koschutnikturm north face (V), Karawanken

swell

• Personal folder on Fritz Sikorovsky (PDF) in the historical Alpine archive of the Alpine clubs in Germany, Austria and South Tyrol (temporarily offline)
• Magazine Der Bergsteiger ; October 1979, p. 588 u. 606
• Willi End: Ennstal Alps - Gesäuse Mountains . Alpine Club Guide, Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-7633-1248-X .