Markus Bendler

Markus Bendler (born May 1, 1984 in Innsbruck ) is an Austrian climber who has already climbed sport climbing routes up to French grade 9a and was able to repeat and climb some of the most difficult ice and mixed routes worldwide. He was also world champion in ice climbing in 2007 and 2009 .

biography

Markus Bendler grew up and still lives in the small community of about 700 people in Schwendt , north of the limestone mountains and the Wilder Kaiser climbing area in the Tyrolean lowlands. After completing compulsory schooling, he successfully completed an apprenticeship as a baker at the "Franz Stelzer" bakery in the neighboring Bavarian town of Schleching . After working in this profession for two years, he decided to pursue his passion, climbing, and pursue a professional career.

successes

Rock climbing

1999: At the age of fifteen, he was the youngest climber in the world to have a route with grade 8b + / c on his account. After several weeks of trying out, he succeeded in repeating the "Big Foot Man" route that Alexander Huber had first climbed in the Schleierwasserfall climbing area in Tyrol.

2002: Markus climbs his first 8c at the Schleierwasserfall with Mercy Street .

2004: Markus climbs a long-term project at Schleierwasserfall, which has resisted the ambitions of numerous well-known elite climbers, including Gerhard Hörhager , Klemens Loskot, Toni Lamprecht , Alexander Huber , and rates it with 9a or 11 according to the UIAA scale. The 40 degree overhanging and 25 meter long strip of rock, which is located in the central part of the main sector and whose key point is the first 6 meters, is given the name " Mongo " - at the time one of the world's most difficult routes.

2005: "The legacy of the fathers" 8c + (Schleier waterfall, first ascent), several routes in areas 8b + and 8c

2006: "Schnaxlkinig" 8c (Zillertal, Tulfer, first ascent), Top Terrorist 8c (Schleierwasserfall, first ascent), numerous boulders up to 8a + bloc and numerous routes in 8b +

2007: Reality Check 8c + (first ascent, Schleier waterfall)

Ice and mixed climbing

• 2004: Eisbär GI 13 (first ascent, Pitztal Glacier, Austria, most difficult ice tour worldwide)

Flash of Vertical Limit M 12 (Ueschinen, Switzerland, second flash ascent of this degree worldwide so far), numerous mixed tours up to M 12

• 2006: Law and order M 13+ (first ascent, Diebsöfen, Austria, most difficult mixed route worldwide, repeated by Ines Papert and Harald Berger )
• 2007: numerous first ascents of icefalls in Iceland up to grade WI 7
• 2008: First ascent of "Lector" WI 7 in Japan

Ice climbing competition

• 2005: 4th place WM-Difficulty, Saas Fee, Switzerland
• 2006: 3rd place overall World Cup, World Cup victory in Saas Fee
• 2007: 1st place World Cup bouldering, Valle di Daone, Italy; 2nd place overall World Cup
• 2008: 2nd place World Cup in Valle di Daone, Italy; 1st place World Cup Busteni, Romania, 2nd place overall World Cup
• 2009: 1st place World Cup in Valle di Daone, Italy; 1st place WM-Difficulty, Saas Fee, Switzerland; 1st place World Cup Busteni, Romania; 1st place overall World Cup
• 2010: 1st place World Cup Kirov , Russia;
• 2010: 1st place World Cup in Valle di Daone, Italy;
• 2010: 1st place World Cup Saas Fee, Switzerland;
• 2010: 1st place "Icefight" Rabenstein, Italy;
• 2010: 1st place "Glace-Glisse" Unken, Austria;
• 2010: 2nd place World Cup Buşteni , Romania;
• 2010: 1st place European Championship Buşteni, Romania;
• 2010: 1st place overall World Cup
• 2011: 1st place World Cup Cheong Song, South Korea;
• 2011: 1st place World Cup Saas Fee, Switzerland;

Web links

• Official website of Markus Bendler