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 highly motivated, we arrived again two days later, this time with harness, rope and placements in our luggage. More or less to warm up, I checked out the individual moves again. It became clear to me straight away: 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