The Bernese Alexander Rohr once again climbs a brutally hard route. Last weekend he took the second ascent of the small-route route File number XY Unsolved (8c / 8c +) in the police station near Sarnen.
Already the end of 2016 (LACRUX reported) Alex managed the second ascent of a tough route. At that time it was the route rated 8c La Proute T in the south-exposed area Charmey in the Gastlosen.
We interviewed Alex about the recent visit
Why did you choose this exact route?
I chose the route because it requires a special kind of endurance. It is twenty meters long and has the last big grip right after the start. Then the handles get smaller and the trains harder. You need practically fresh fingers and forearms at the bouldering point in front of the second length stand. This character makes it perfect for testing my fitness.
How long have you planned the route? How many attempts did you need?
I had File number XY unresolved Last year tried and had no chance. This year it worked after two days and few attempts. Thus, my self-test is positive. I do that every now and then with heavy tours. It motivates tremendously.
Who started the route first?
The route is by Stefan Schibli. His tours are known for miserable small handles and holes. Something like those of Fred or Francois Nicole. I've fallen for these routes and collect them. Fortunately for me, I have stable fingers and naturally a pretty good fingering on each finger. It helps that I can climb these tours quickly without hurting myself.
What was ultimately decisive for the successful ascent?
The key to success is certainly the fitness that I have trained this winter. I came home a bit broken from Oliana because I did not climb anything that I wanted. Then came the next intensive phase and now I notice very good results.