The young Vorarlberg climber Andreas Hofherr secures what is probably only the third repetition of Into the Sun (8c+) in the Murgtal. The line, first climbed by Bernd Zangerl in 2017, is a mixture of highball and trad route.
Andrew Hofherr scores in murgtal the bold boulder-trad combination Into the Sun (8c+). The Vorarlberger thus secured one of the rare ascents of this line, which was the first ascent for Bernd Zangerl in 2017 End of a long recovery period represented. Fun fact: For the 20-year-old, it was his first ever trad experience.
Experience report from Andreas Hofherr
It all started when Nemo and I spontaneously decided to check out the Murgtal bouldering area, which is located not far from the Austrian border in Switzerland on Lake Walen.
Above all, we had a specific line in mind, we wanted to pay a visit to the Into the Sun route (8c+).
Andrew Hofherr
We arrived on Saturday afternoon without much expectation. We spent until late hours trying to figure out the starting boulder. I quickly got the individual moves and tried to put some sequences together.
Satisfied and with a lot of motivation, we traveled again two days later, this time with a harness, rope and placements in our luggage. More or less to warm up, I checked out the individual trains again. I immediately realized: I'm fit today!
So to save energy I decided to look at the placements and the exit plate from above. After a little consultation with Nemo, I was pretty sure that the placements of these three friends that I chose would hold up in a fall.
So I slipped into my harness, tied on my rope and gave the go. The first two attempts ended with a foot slip, on the third I flew on the last move of the boulder. Nevertheless, I made a fourth attempt a little later, everything went smoothly and I made it to the top hold of the boulder, where, full of adrenaline, I pulled my placements up from the ground and attached them to me.
Now I laid the first friend, which is not only the first friend in this route, but also reflects my first trad experience. Nevertheless, I climbed the last few meters more or less calmly.
Andrew Hofherr
It was only when I got off the block that I realized what I had just experienced! Even though the difficult part of the route is due to the boulder and the trad part is much easier - the entire experience was ultimately what makes Into the Sun so special!
That might interest you
- Jacopo Larcher repeats difficult trad route | Into the sun
- Interview: Bernd Zangerl opens Highball-Boulder Grenzlos in Valle Dell'Orco
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Credits: Cover picture Nemuel Feurle