Supervisor, Seidenraupe & first ascent of Centercourt
Short trip into the ice of the Gastein valley...
Sometime I am feeling like I am an American storm fighter. When the alarm is ringing somewhere at the globe, through some insider informations or pictures showing promising ice conditions, I am out to chase. This time it happened again, Benni and me have been at the Eisarena in Gastein.
As a warm up we speeded up the classic lines 'Supervisor' (270m, WI6) in 2,5 hours and 'Seidenraupe' (200m, WI5). At the evening we met local ice climbing legend, Hans Zlöbl. Beside having a beer we spoke about our climbing day. As I told Hans that the center line in the Eisarena, located between "Land under" and "Rodeo" was in conditions, his eyes became to glow. He told me that this line was his dream line for many years, but he never could climb it. Hans does not climb anymore, so he wished us the best for the next day and wanted to hear from us soon.
Right in the middle of the 2nd pitch at the crux, I was asking myself what the hell are you doing here? The 1-3 cm thin ice glace in the vertical terrain was falling apart and the same happened to me. But climbing back was impossible anymore. I focused all my energy and climbed concentrated to the end of the crux onto the thicker ice. It was a game on the absolute limit and like playing with fire. Such climbs are not really something what you want more often, but when you realise an outstanding 300m-line on pure ice at one of the most spectacular places for ice climbing I know, than it is worth it.
The glace held and as well my tools did on the often only 1 cm hooks. A fall in this unprotectable terrain would have had serious consequences and has to be avoided at any costs.
Finally everything went perfect - 'Centercourt' (300m, WI7+) will stay in my mind for a long time...
