Prinzip Hoffnung Explained

Prinzip Hoffnung
Location:Bürs, Vorarlberg, Austria
Map:Austria
Coords:47.1508°N 9.8013°W[1]
Climbing Area:German: Bürser Platte
Other Name:Principle Hope (Principle of Hope)
Map Width:220
Grade:5.14 R (US), 8b/+ (French), X/X+ (UIAA), or E9-E10 (British)
Ffa:
(1997, as a sport climb),
(2009, as a traditional climb)
Vertical Gain:40m (130feet)
Pitches:1
Route Type:Traditional climbing

Prinzip Hoffnung (in English: Principle Hope or Principle of Hope), is a 40m (130feet) long traditional climbing route on a thin crack up a conglomerate rock slab on the "Bürs plate cliff" (German: Bürser Platte) overlooking the village of Bürs in Vorarlberg, Austria. The route was greenpointied by Austrian climber in 2009, and was one of the earliest traditional climbing routes to be graded at 5.14 R (American), 8b/+ (French), X/X+ (UIAA), or E9-E10 (British); it is still considered one of the hardest traditional climbing routes in the world.

History

In 1997, Austrian climber Marco Wasina made the first redpoint of the lower part of the route up the length of the first 25m (82feet) thin crack that splits the face, which he did as a bolted sport climb. A few months later, his friend repeated Wasina's route, and then made the difficult moves to extend the route rightwards into another set of even smaller fissure cracks through an almost blank featureless section of 6m (20feet) to create an even harder 40m (130feet) sport climb that he graded at 8b/8b+ (French).

In 2009, Kammerlander removed the bolts (called greenpointing) and spent several months training and mentally preparing himself (and admitting to sleepless nights worrying about the falls), to reclimb it as a traditional route. During his attempts, he took several 15m (49feet) falls from its crux onto small wires below. In September 2009, Kammerlander, aged 50, made the first free ascent (FFA) of Prinzip Hoffnung as a traditional climb. He said: "The Burs Face has always fascinated me. The climb is very particular and uses tiny edges and footholds. If you try it too often you bloody your fingers and wear through the rubber on your shoes. It's a hell of a battle."

In March 2014, Austrian climber Barbara Zangerl made the fifth overall free ascent and the first female free ascent (FFFA) of the route. Even a decade after Kammerlander's first ascent, the route had only recorded its tenth ascent, and in 2023, the route is still ranked as one of the hardest traditional climbing routes in the world.[2] [3]

Legacy

Prinzip Hoffnung route is considered a classic crack/slab traditional climb and an important testpiece, with subsequent repeats of Prinzip Hoffnung being closely followed and recorded in the climbing media. When British climber Maddy Cope climbed it in 2019 she said: "The route is a dream line, one that you see pictures of your climbing heroes on but never think you will actually do it yourself". When Anna Hazelnutt climbed it in 2023 with Tom Randall, she said: "Prinzip Hoffnung is seriously a dream climb! Tom and I have been eyeing this line for quite some time now, a perfect mix of crack and slab – although it was definitely more cracky than I anticipated".

The route is an important part of Beat Kammerlender's legacy, who was one of Europe's strongest rock climbers in the 1990s, and who made the first-ever ascents of multi-pitch routes at the grade of and of . In 2009, Kammerlander said: "Prinzip Hoffnung has an equal significance in my personal development", and "Major climbing projects demand development inside myself and that was exactly the case here".

Ascents

Prinzip Hoffnung has been ascended by (first ten ascents):

First female free ascents (FFFA) were:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Prinzip Hoffnung X/X+. 15 September 2023 . theCrag . en.
  2. Web site: Gripped Magazine . The World’s Hardest Trad Routes by Winter 2021 . 1 February 2021 . 21 March 2023.
  3. Web site: 99 boulders . The Hardest Trad Climbs in the World . Willis . Kuelthau . 24 September 2019 . 15 September 2023.
  4. Web site: PlanetMountain . Beat Kammerlander believes in Prinzip Hoffnung. March 2009 . 15 September 2023 .
  5. Web site: . Principle Hope: climber Beat Kammerlander scales vertical cliff in Austria. 29 September 2009 . 15 September 2023 .
  6. Web site: . Prinzip Hoffnung, from Beat Kammerlander madness to new classic . 10 March 2014 . 15 September 2023 . es. es.
  7. Web site: PlanetMountain . Prinzip Hoffnung, second ascent by Alex Luger. March 2010 . 15 September 2023 .
  8. Web site: PlanetMountain . Jacopo Larcher repeats Prinzip Hoffnung in Austria. February 2014 . 15 September 2023 .
  9. Web site: UKClimbing . Bjorn . Pohl . 7 March 2014 . 15 September 2023 . Prinzip Hoffnung, ~8b+ E9/10, by Fabi Buhl.
  10. Web site: LACrux . Michael Gunsilius climbs principle hope . 12 February 2018 . 15 September 2023.
  11. Web site: PlanetMountain . Young Nemuel Feurle masters Prinzip Hoffnung. April 2018. 15 September 2023 .
  12. Web site: LACrux . Nemuel Feurle climbs the principle of hope at the age of 16 years . 3 April 2018 . 15 September 2023.
  13. Web site: Gripped Magazine . Michi Wohlleben Sends Hard Trad then Gets Bacteria Infection. 19 March 2019 . 15 September 2023 .
  14. Web site: UKClimbing . Michi Wohlleben climbs Prinzip Hoffnung F8b+/E9/10. 13 March 2019 . 15 September 2023 . Nick . Brown .
  15. Web site: Gripped Magazine . Babsi Zangerl Sends Test-Piece Prinzip Hoffnung 5.14. 18 March 2014 . 15 September 2023 .
  16. Web site: PlanetMountain . Nadine Wallner picture-perfect on Prinzip Hoffnung at Bürs. March 2019. 15 September 2023 .
  17. Web site: PlanetMountain . Madeleine Cope deals with difficult trad slab Prinzip Hoffnung. April 2019. 15 September 2023 .
  18. Web site: UKClimbing . Maddy Cope climbs Prinzip Hoffnung F8b/E9 . Nick . Brown . 2 April 2019 . 15 September 2023.
  19. Web site: Gripped Magazine . Now Maddy Cope Sends Pinzip Hoffnung 5.14 R. 3 April 2019 . 16 September 2023 .
  20. Web site: PlanetMountain . Lena Marie Müller repeats Prinzip Hoffnung, Beat Kammerlander’s perfect trad climb at Bürs. March 2020 . 15 September 2023 .
  21. Web site: LACrux . Lena Marie Müller: Fourth female ascent of the principle hope principle . 6 March 2020 . 15 September 2023.
  22. Web site: Gripped Magazine . Lena Marie Müller Sends Prinzip Hoffnung 5.14R Trad. 3 March 2020 . 15 September 2023 .
  23. Web site: Gripped Magazine . Anna Hazelnutt Sends Iconic Spicy Trad Line in Europe. Aaron . Pardy . 23 April 2023 . 15 September 2023 .
  24. Web site: PlanetMountain . Anna Hazlett tiptoes up Prinzip Hoffnung at Bürs in Austria. March 2023. 15 September 2023 .
  25. Web site: . Anna Hazelnutt Ticks 5.14 Gear . 21 March 2023 . 15 September 2023 . Delaney . Miller.
  26. Web site: UKClimbing . Prinzip Hoffnung E9/10 by Anna Hazlett . Nathalie . Berry . 20 March 2023 . 15 September 2023.
  27. Web site: PlanetMountain . Iris Bielli blasts up Prinzip Hoffnung at Bürs in Austria . 19 March 2024 . 10 April 2024.
  28. Web site: Gripped Magazine. 20-Year-Old Climbs 5.13d/14a Trad in Austria . 20 March 2024 . 10 April 2024 . Aaron . Pardy.

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