Alexander Rohr is currently in top form. Within a few weeks, he managed numerous routes in the upper eighth and ninth French degrees. The two routes Knockout (8c +) and Inferno (9a / 9a +) are first ascents.
And yet another climber provides proof that the corona lockdown did not have too negative an impact on climbing performance: the Bernese Alexander tube climbed difficult routes en mass and opened two new tours in the sport climbing mecca within a very short time gimmelwald. His ticklist (chronological, not exhaustive):
- Transcription (9a) at Charmey
- El Molinero (8c +) near Gimmelwald
- Temps Difficiles (8c +) at Soyhières
- So-Ya-Yeh (8c) at Soyhières
- Le Roi Lèzard (8c / 8c +) on the Jansegg
- Knockout (FA, 8c +) in Gimmelwald
- Inferno (FA, 9a / 9a +) in Gimmelwald
- Mission Max (8c) in the arm
- Un chant pour Phil (8c) at Soyhières
In the footsteps of Adam Ondra
The first thing for Alexander Rohr was the route Transcription (9a) in Freiburg Charmey on the program that Adam Ondra 2014 started. Two weeks later it was the 8c + route El Molinero in Gimmelwald, which the young Bernese red dot climbed.
I wanted to be the first to repeat the route after Adam. All the more, of course, I was pleased that the climb was successful.
Alex tube
A detour to Soyhières and two red dot inspections later Alex stopped at the Jansegg and got a repeat of Le Roi Lézardbefore he devoted himself to the first ascents in Gimmelwald.
Two new routes opened in Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald is the sports climbing area in which Alexander Rohr scored his then most difficult routes years ago. He feels at home in the Bernese Oberland. The first thing he concentrated on was a 22 meter long and overhanging route to the left of the classic Surfers Paradise (8a +).
The route used to be considered 8b until Thomas Schmid broke a grip below the stand and a fairly bare spot was created.
Alexander tube
His first attempts on the route were unsuccessful. "In the tour you climb an 8a + or 8b and then without a resting point directly into a 3-move boulder in the 7c area," explains Alexander Rohr. At the third attempt, however, everything came together. The first ascent was done.
The route is long, persistent and ultimately depends on three heavy trains just before the deflector. That makes them special.
As a rating for the new route Knockout Alexander Rohr suggests 8c +, because the route is more difficult than the right variant of Surfers Paradis (Wipeout, 8c / 8c +).
Combined tour for the first time: Inferno (9a / 9a +)
The first ascent of Knockout gave the Bernese turmoil, which gave rise to a new idea: he wanted the difficult lower part of the 9a route Jungfrau Marathon with the exit and the key point from Gimmelexpress (8c) combine. “When you have finished climbing the key point of the Jungfrau Marathon, there is only one more section in area 7c + / 8a. But if you cross to the right, in Gimmelexpress, you climb a short and very explosive 9b + passage after 8a, ”says Alexander Rohr.
In order to climb the red dot combination, Alex had to climb the lower part, i.e. the 9a route Jungfrau Marathonclimb as efficiently as possible. This is exactly what he did on May 29, 2020, when he succeeded in the first ascent of the combined line. For the combined 52-train tour called "Inferno“Alex suggests the level of difficulty 9a / 9a +.
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Credits: Pictures Action Talk TV