Mixed climbing
Mixed climbing is the term used to describe climbing routes that combine rock and ice. As a rule, the locomotion is done with the help of crampons and ice axes or ice axes . This form of climbing has developed significantly in recent years after a style of ascent similar to free climbing has been established. The history and techniques of mixed climbing are closely linked to ice climbing .
history
Climbing in combined terrain is as old as mountaineering itself, because mountains always have a certain amount of ice from a certain height due to the low temperatures. Accordingly, the Alps are considered the first venue for mixed climbing. Mixed climbing also has a long history in Great Britain, especially on Ben Nevis , the highest point in Scotland. The first mixed tours were climbed here at the end of the 19th century.
The history of modern ice climbing begins in the late seventies and the modern mixed climbing in the 1990s, where in addition to the Alps and Scotland and Canada plays an important role. The big protagonists are Jeff Lowe, Will Gadd and Robert Jasper .
Classic phase
The first climbing route in the combined terrain is the ascent of the Ortler over the right side of the southwest flank by Pichler , Klausner and Leitner in 1804. The difficulties of this route were only overcome in 1887 by Hans Bumiller, who built the pillar named after him on Piz Palü mounted. The next increase followed in 1938 on the Eiger north face by Anderl Heckmair , Ludwig Vörg, Fritz Kasparek and Heinrich Harrer . Climbing here sometimes required vertical ice walls, icy vertical cracks and chimneys .
The first ice tour on Ben Nevis was committed in 1894 by Colie Norman on the west side of Tower Ridge. 60 years later Tom Patey was active there, he did Eagle-Ridge and much more.
Modern phase
The first real mixed route of the modern era is Octopussy (M8) in Vail (Colorado, USA), first ascended by Jeff Lowe in 1994. It connects several frozen waterfalls through heavily overhanging rocky passages.
In Europe, the beginnings of the modern era were shaped by Xaver Bongard with “Rübezahl” (1988) and the now classic “Crack Baby” (1993) and Robert Jasper with “Reise ins Reich der Eiszwerge” (1996), which are still pure ice tours are. Robert Jasper was inspired by a trip to America, where he was able to repeat the most difficult mixed routes, for the first European mixed climbing. He started with “Traite de Lune” (Switzerland), which with the rating M8 + became the most difficult route in the world. Robert Jasper represented a pure style for alpine tours without drill hooks, so that “Traite de Lune” was completely secured with normal hooks. The first repetition was made in 2002 by Urs Odermatt, who confirmed the level of difficulty. The first M9, "Amphibian", followed in 1998 by the Canadian Will Gadd. The so-called bouldering was used for the first time in a mixed route , practicing the hardest parts over several days, a technique known from sport climbing. In the same year an M9 + / 10- (today M9 +) followed by Stevie Haston “X-Files” in Italy and the famous “Flying Circus” on Breitwangfluh (CH) by Robert Jasper, the first M10 in the world. It is also only secured by normal hooks.
The grade M11 was achieved for the first time by Mauro "Bubu" Bole in Italy, who, however, gave the grade M "bubu" because he did not expect anyone to repeat the tour. Will Gadd made the first M12, "Musashi", which he succeeded in 2002 in Canada again. Robert Jasper climbed the first European M12 (“Batman”) in Ueschenen (CH), which hardly contains any ice, but mainly has rocky passages. In 2004 Will Gadd climbed the world's first M13 ("The Game"). The first M13 in Europe followed a year later, this time by the Austrian Albert Leichtfried. He calls the tour in Dryland near Innsbruck "Game Over". In 2006 he opened "Illuminati" in Vallunga (Italy), which with M11 + / WI6 + was the most difficult multi-pitch tour. In the same year, Markus Bendler climbed “Law and Order” (M13 +) at the thieves' yards. It was repeated in 2007 by Ines Papert , which made it the first women to climb an M13 +. She also created the currently most difficult multi-pitch route “Into the Wild” (M12), which she opened in Canada in 2008.
equipment
Ice ax
Modern ice tools are specialized for use on hard mixed and ice routes. The pick is made in such a way that the impact of the ice has the lowest possible explosive effect. The handle is not perpendicular to the pick, as is the case with an ice ax, but rather almost parallel due to the curvature of the shaft to prevent fatigue when hanging on the equipment for a long time. The ice axes also offer several grip positions, which are necessary for a grip change. The main handle for the most frequently used lower handle position is offset to the rear. This prevents the lever from changing when changing handles.
Hand straps are no longer provided for most devices. However, there is the option of attaching the equipment to the climbing harness with a lanyard to prevent loss of equipment, e.g. a. to be avoided on longer multi-pitch tours. The shovels or hammer heads common with ice picks are usually dispensed with in order to reduce the risk of injury. Two different pick types are often offered for ice tools. A thinner one that penetrates the ice better and a thicker, more stable one for rock-heavy mixed and dry tooling areas.
crampon
Mainly crampons with vertical, forged frontal points are used. They penetrate the ice more easily than the horizontal frontal peaks that are common on glacier tours. Both two frontal points per crampon and only one (mono-point) are common. Many crampons offer the option of converting from mono to duo and vice versa. For the steep ice and mixed areas, the crampons are usually attached to the mountain boots using rocker arms , as a strap binding offers less stability and can also restrict the blood supply to the feet. The use of heel spurs is controversial (see section style ).
Boots
The boots used are mainly crampon-proof, warming mountain boots with hangers for toggle-lever crampons. Professional mixed climbers in particular use light shoes to which the crampon is firmly attached to save weight.
Rope and belay devices
Depending on the application, single or double ropes are used, which are also used for rock climbing. An impregnation helps against soaking the rope with water. Depending on the nature of the tour, drilling and normal hooks, clamping devices such as wedges or friends and ice screws are used as safety devices to secure the tour . A correctly set ice screw can have similar strength values in good ice as a bolt in rock.
Helmet and clothing
A mountaineering helmet protects against falling pieces of ice and a sliding ice ax. Winter-proof functional clothing is usually used, which offers as much freedom of movement as possible. Due to the strong temperature change between climbing and belaying, a (down) jacket is often used.
Difficulty levels
The difficulty scale continues with the waterfall ice grades (WI). It is made up of an "M" to indicate that it is a mixed tour and a subsequent number. The scale ranges from M1 to M13, with no upper limit. The Scottish scale consists of a Roman numeral followed by an Arabic numeral, with the Roman representing the overall rating and the Arabic representing the most difficult technical section. The scale ranges from I to IX or from 4 to 9.
style
As with rock climbing, the idea of free climbing ( red point climbing ) is becoming increasingly popular in the mixed area , as a result of which climbing can only develop further if no artificial aids are used to move. Since artificial aids in the form of ice axes and crampons are always used in mixed climbing, the idea is not so easy to implement here. Starting with the Canadian Will Gadd, the hand-strap-free ascent style has now established itself. In addition to higher demands on the endurance of the climber, this also offers a greater variety of climbing movements, so that the disadvantage of the higher expenditure of force is more or less balanced. Hand straps are no longer allowed in competitions.
The use of crampons with an additional heel spur , an additional point on the heel of the crampon, is controversial in the scene, since the relief of resting positions enables a less sporty and more technical climbing style and tours are much easier for the corresponding level of difficulty. For example, Will Gadd propagates the heel-free climbing style ("Spurs are for horses", German: "Spurs are for horses"). In order to be able to compare the climbing performance of the individual athletes, it is necessary to also consider the climbing style used. Albert Leichtfried distinguishes three styles based on Will Gadd:
- Bareback style : the purest style. Heel spurs are not used at all
- Comp Style : The current competitive style. Heel spurs are allowed, but not for breaks (e.g. hanging on the ice ax)
- Full trickery : all tricks with the heel spur are allowed. This usually makes climbing tours one degree easier.
Leichtfried also mentions the old-school climbing style, which was practiced until about five years ago. It includes the use of ice ax-like ice tools with hand straps and heavy mountain boots with attached crampons.
Individual evidence
- ↑ bergundstieg.at
- ^ The American Alpine Journal. Volume 37, No. 69, 1995, pp. 53-60.
- ↑ ( page no longer available , search in web archives: alpen.sac-cas.ch )
- ↑ ( page no longer available , search in web archives: alpen.sac-cas.ch )
- ↑ bergstieg.com
- ↑ bergstieg.com
- ↑ bergstieg.com
- ↑ Chris Semmel, Dieter Stopper: Ice cold or hot? - What do backups hold in ice falls? In: DAV Panorama 2/2005, Munich 2005 ( ( page no longer available , search in web archives: cms.alpenverein.de ) PDF).
- ↑ a b Are heel spurs for horses? , Albert Leichtfried from bergstieg.com, accessed on November 22, 2012
- ↑ Andi Dick: Mixed climbing: Ice climbing without ice . In: DAV (Ed.): DAV Panorama . No. 10 , 2010, p. 14–15 ( alpenverein.de [PDF; accessed on November 22, 2012]).