Walter Stößer

Walter Stösser (also written Stösser ; * December 1, 1900 in Pforzheim ; † August 1, 1935 on Morgenhorn ) was a German mountaineer who achieved numerous first ascents.

biography

Stößer was the founder and chairman of the Battert climbing guild and worked as a teacher from 1919. From 1925 onwards he reached some difficult routes on the Battert , such as the Alte Pforzheimer Weg , the Neue Pforzheimer Weg , the Wespkante and the Stößer-Kast intersection . Between 1928 and 1935 he was able to achieve numerous important first ascents in the Alps, mainly in Italy and Switzerland.

In 1928 he managed a first ascent on the north face of the Gehrenspitze , which later became known as the "Battert-Riss". In the same year he also managed a first ascent on the northern edge of the Dreitorspitze . In 1929 he succeeded in the first ascent of the Großer Zinne north-west edge with subsequent crossing of all Three Peaks and a first ascent through the Tofana di Rozes south face. In 1930 he reached three more important first ascents; Marmolata-d'Ombretta -Südwestwand, Antelao -Westkante and Drusenfluh -Südwand. The first ascent of the Patteriol south-east pillar followed in 1931 and the first ascent of the difficult Bietschhorn south-east ridge in 1932.

In August 1933 he tried to climb the north face of the Matterhorn with Gustl Kröner as his rope partner , but Kröner was killed by falling rocks. In 1935 he caused a sensation with further first ascents on the Doldenstock West Ridge and Northwest Ridge, the Kleiner Doldenhorn West Ridge, the Blümlisalphorn West Face and the Balmhorn East Face . Other first ascents of his career included the Bietschhorn Northwest Face, Oeschinenhorn West Ridge, Doldenhorn South Ridge, Kleiner Vernel South Face, Mittlerer Drusenturm East Face and Großer Drusenturm West Ridge.

By 1935, he had also managed to repeat numerous well-known rock climbs, such as the third ascent of the north face of the one (Sexten sundial ) in 1928, the fourth ascent of the north-west face of the Civetta and the second ascent of the Mont-Blanc- Brenva flank in 1929 Monte Pelmo north face (3rd ascent), the Dent-d'Hérens north face (4th ascent), the Kleine-Zinne -Preußriss (3rd ascent) and the Gimpel -Nordwestkante (4th ascent).

1932 succeeded Walter pestle with Fritz Kast commission of the Marmolada -Südpfeilers. It is unclear whether this was the first ascent of this route, as it has been claimed by the Italian rope team Luigi Michelucci / Roberto Perathoner since 1929. However, due to numerous unsuccessful attempts at repetition, doubts had arisen about the Italians' version, especially when Perathoner could no longer progress even with a repetition attempt in the wall and had to be rescued from above with rope help. However, with their successful ascent, Stößer and Kast determined that the route specified by the Italians could be climbed. The Italians are still officially the first to climb.

In the summer of 1935, Walter Stößer and Theo Seybold wanted to do the first ascent of the Morgenhorn north face. However, Seybold fell around 200 meters below the summit and carried Walter Stößer with him to his death. Her fall was observed by the guard at the Gspaltenhornhütte . The bodies of the two were still missing as of 1965.

In 1940 Paul Hübel published the book Der Bergsteiger Walter Stösser . One street is named after him in Pforzheim and Munich.

Web links

• Walter Stößer personal folder (PDF) in the historical Alpine archive of the Alpine clubs in Germany, Austria and South Tyrol (temporarily offline)