Vorarlberg's Nemuel Feurle successfully redpoints the Silbergeier route (8b+, 160m, 6 pitches) in the Rätikon. In an interview, Nemuel reveals the key to his success and what projects he'll be tackling next.
When we called Nemuel to discuss where we should go with our paragliders the following day, he was sitting in the «Nest», the famous spot on the route Silbergeier. Accompanied by Lara Neumeier Nemuel made another attempt to finally climb this Rätikon classic.
Since my first day in Silbergeier, accompanied by Jacopo Larcher, I have tried the line a few times.
Nemuel Feurle
And that's not something to be taken for granted, because he's been close to completing the climb in the past, but was forced to retreat by the rain, lost his motivation, and became frustrated. It was a constant up and down.
There were times when I didn't even want to attempt the route again. In the last two weeks, something made me want to get back on it.
Nemuel Feurle
“Yes, I sent!”
When we met Nemuel the next day at Ebenalp, our starting point for the paragliding flight, he let the cat out of the bag: "Yes, I sent yesterday!" he said with a gleam in his eyes. So it was time to ask a few questions.
How many times have you been to the Rätikon to try Silbergeier?
I can't remember the exact number, but based on my various climbing partners, it was probably around 30 times. I first climbed the route with Jacopo Larcher in 2019.
What would you say is Silbergeier’s biggest challenge?
It was clear to me from the start that I would be able to climb this route someday. However, the Rätikon doesn't care about your physical strength; it's much more about your current footing and how you handle the current conditions. I remember being caught off guard several times by summer thunderstorms and heavy rain; I attempted it too often on warm summer days. Often, the conditions made it too difficult for me, but my mind also has to be on the ball. There are some runouts to climb that no one likes to fall into.
What was ultimately the key to success?
In the last two years, I've only visited the Silbergeier a few times, and I knew my fitness and conditions had to be right on the same day, so this year I went to the Rätikon very early. I made my first attempt at the climb last Monday in cloudy weather. However, I failed on the very last pitch. The following Wednesday, Lara Neumeier and I made another attempt at the climb. I tried to stay in the moment rather than concentrating on a possible ascent. After just three hours, we found ourselves on the fifth pitch, the crux of the climb. Despite the early season, I felt the sun's strength, and it wasn't until my fifth attempt, after the wall was finally in shade and I decided to do a bit of a "training go," that I surprisingly managed to climb all the way to the last pitch. This time, I made short work of the last pitch and found myself at the top belay of the Silbergeier route shortly afterwards. I'd say the key to success was the combination of good conditions, lots of fun climbing, and the optimized beta for the crux.
You recently started paragliding. Why? Do you plan to combine paragliding with climbing or mountaineering?
I like the feeling of being in the air, when everything below you suddenly seems so small. I've already done hike & climb tours and hope to have many more such experiences. Thermal flying, which is still new to me, will hopefully open the door to more combinations and tours.
What are your general plans for this year? Do you have any specific projects?
I don't have any big trips or anything planned at the moment, but there are a lot of routes and ideas that have been in my head for a while, so we'll see what this year brings.
Thermal flying isn't entirely new to Nemuel today. On that day, we successfully flew longer distances in the Alpstein, incidentally in conditions that were rarely so good, and were able to climb above the Säntis.
About the Silver Vulture Route
The Silbergeier climbing route (160m, 6 pitches, 8b+) is one of the most important and difficult alpine sport climbing routes in the Alps and is located on the south face of the 4th Kirchlispitze in the Rätikon on the Swiss side. It was established by Beat Kammerlander in 1993 and first free climbed in 1994. Silbergeier is part of the so-called "Alpine Trilogy," which also includes "The Emperor's New Clothes" in the Wilder Kaiser and "End of Silence" in the Berchtesgaden Alps.
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Credits: Cover picture Jacopo Larcher