Alpinism
Expeditions in Asia, South America, Africa and Scandinavia, and first ascents on my doorstep: experience I bring to every tour.
2006 – 2013
6.240 m
First ascent of the previously unclimbed Mount Genyen via its north face (1,200 m, IV, M3/M4, 70°) with a Ladin expedition led by Karl Unterkircher. Plus a new rock route on Sochung (5,830 m, 300 m, VII A3) – abandoned some 50 metres below the summit due to departure.
Team: Simon Kehrer · Karl Unterkircher
6.036 m
Ascents of Alpamayo (5,947 m), Artesonraju (6,025 m) and Quitaraju (6,036 m) in alpine style.
8.125 m
For acclimatisation, Chongra Peak South (with a ski descent) and Chongra North (6,830 m) via its unclimbed north-west ridge. Then the attempt on the unclimbed, roughly 3,000-metre Rakhiot face – without high-altitude porters. After 20 hours of climbing Karl Unterkircher fell into a hidden crevasse. Walter Nones and I had to escape upwards across the face and reached base camp again on 24 July.
Team: Simon Kehrer · Karl Unterkircher · Walter Nones
5.410 m
With my friend Helmut Gargitter, a new route up an extraordinary 800-metre wall on the highest peak of the Cordillera Oriental: “Tierra de Condores”, with difficulties up to UIAA 8/9.
Team: Simon Kehrer · Helmut Gargitter · Fernando González Rubio · Iván Calderón
Tizouyag · Tissalatine
Again with Helmut Gargitter, two new climbing routes: “Tinariwen” on Tizouyag (10 pitches up to 6c+) and “Logic Line” on Tissalatine (4 pitches up to 6c+) – all in alpine style.
Team: Simon Kehrer · Helmut Gargitter
Geitgaljen · Breiflogtinden
In August 2013, two new granite routes: “Trolls meet Latinos” on the south-west face of Geitgaljen (1,085 m) and “One Hundred Years Later” on Breiflogtinden (750 m).
Team: Simon Kehrer · Helmut Gargitter · Fernando González Rubio · Federico Pisani · Iván Calderón
Nanga Parbat 2008
On 7 June 2008 we set off from Milan with a bold goal: the unclimbed, roughly 3,500-metre Rakhiot face of Nanga Parbat. The idea was Karl Unterkircher’s – he, Walter Nones and I were the whole team, without high-altitude porters.
On 14 July our meteorologist Karl Gabl forecast a five-to-six-day weather window. We left at 10 pm; after a few hundred metres the face became really steep. By 3 pm we had overcome the great serac – after 20 hours of climbing and some 2,400 metres above base camp. We were looking for a safe spot for the tent when Karl suddenly vanished before my eyes: he had fallen into a hidden crevasse.
Descending would have been too dangerous, so the only way was up. On 24 July, after many difficult days, we reached base camp. We showed that Karl’s dream was possible. He left a huge gap in our lives and in those of many others.
17 First ascents
Opening new lines, in classic style whenever possible – from frozen waterfalls to Dolomite south faces. Click an image to open the topo.
Val Travenanzes
WI 6 / M9
with Lukas Troi
Mur del Pisciadù
M7 / WI69 pitches
with Lukas Troi
Sas Ciampac 2.672 m
VII+14 pitches500 m
with Manuel Baumgartner, Karl Unterkircher, Josef Willeit
Sas Ciampac 2.672 m
7b+14 pitches400 m
with Christoph Hainz
Mur del Pisciadù
7a+7 pitches225 m
with Roman Valentini
Kleine Zinne · Cima Piccola
7b11 pitches
with Christoph Hainz
Soio di Mezzogiorno
VI (VII-)
Parëi de Col Bechëi
7c7 pitches180 m
Parëi de Col Bechëi
VI+ (7a A0)7 pitches190 m
Parëi de Col Bechëi
V+ A0 (VI)7 pitches180 m
Parëi de Col Bechëi
VI+ (VII-)5 pitches160 m
Geitgaljen 1.085 m · Lofoten
UIAA 7/7+10 pitches
with Gargitter, González Rubio, Pisani, Calderón
Breiflogtinden 750 m · Lofoten
UIAA 7+14 pitches
with Gargitter, González Rubio, Pisani, Calderón
Tizouyag · Hoggar
6c+10 pitches
with Helmut Gargitter
Tissalatine · Hoggar
6c+4 pitches
with Helmut Gargitter
Ritacuba Blanco 5.410 m
UIAA 8/9800 m
with Helmut Gargitter
Nanga Parbat
NW ridge6.830 m
with Karl Unterkircher, Walter Nones
From the logbook
In early January, while working, I spotted a line of ice high above me that had grown down an S-shaped chimney. I took a photo straight away – and from then on I couldn’t get the line out of my head. Old guidebooks revealed that the logical line had been climbed in summer back in 1942 by Germano Kostner – “good rock, but mostly wet”. That fired me up even more, and my friend and fellow guide Lukas Troi was in at once.
We started at 7 am at the Mesoles inn, climbed quickly through the Lujanta icefall and at 9:15 set off from the foot of the wall into the unknown. The first three pitches were mostly rock; then the terrain got steeper and harder and protection was not always easy. After some original but mentally demanding ice and rock sections we reached the last three ice pitches and, around 4:30 pm, the plateau – just in time for sunset. We descended via the Setus valley.
Kami(n)kaze is a demanding mixed line up the chimney gully right of the Exner icefall: nine pitches, M7/WI6 – a long, thrilling chimney adventure on the famous walls of the Mur del Pisciadù.
Books & DVD
The tragedy of the Unterkircher expedition on Nanga Parbat: after the first day almost two-thirds of the Rakhiot face lay below them – then Karl Unterkircher fell into a hidden crevasse. Kehrer and Nones’ escape upwards to the summit ridge at 7,500 metres provides the dramatic content of this book. Signed copies available on request.
In April 2006 a small team led by Karl Unterkircher sets off with just one satellite image into the formerly Tibetan Kham region to make the first ascent of 6,240-metre Mount Genyen via its north face. The film approaches the mountain and its secret step by step.
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