Louis Gundolf succeeds in the first free ascent of Ganesha Extension, a difficult route by Hansjörg Auer on the Elefantenwand in Ötztal. In an interview, the professional climber explains how an injury led him to this route, what this ascent means to him and how an unconventional beta in the second crux led him to success.
The Elefantenwand is located in the rear part of the Ötztal. In this climbing area, Hansjörg Auer climbed the route Ganesha Extension Stew Watson was the first to climb the first part in 2012. No one has yet been able to free the entire line. On November 8th, Louis Gundolf achieved just that and secured the first free ascent of Ganesha Extension.
For me, Ganesha Extension is definitely one of the hardest routes I have ever done and probably the hardest in the Ötztal.
Louis Gundolf
Louis, congratulations on your free ascent of Ganesha Extension. How would you briefly describe this line?
Ganesha Extension has two outstanding and very boulder-heavy cruxes. One at the very beginning, which is the crux in the original "Ganesha". After that follows another boulder, which I found to be just as difficult, maybe even more difficult.
How did you come to try this line?
In December 2023, I had just injured my finger and had to go to therapy. In my opinion, Stew Watson is by far the best therapist in the finger area. During our sessions, we talked about Hansjörg and this route.
At that moment it was clear to me that this would be my next more difficult project if I got fit again.
Louis Gundolf
How long did the process take from the first checkout to the completion?
Surprisingly, it didn't take that long. I started climbing for the first time on August 2nd and completed the climb on November 8th. In total, I needed seven sessions for everything - two for the first part of Ganesha and five more to complete the extension.
You wrote about your climb that it meant a lot to you to be able to complete a route bolted by Hansjörg Auer. Why is that?
Like many other big names in the climbing scene, Hansjörg was always highly respected for his achievements – and at the same time a great role model for me.
I have a particularly memorable encounter with him in the Imst climbing hall when I was very young. He approached me and asked me which route I was trying out. I was incredibly nervous, but somehow we ended up having a pleasant conversation.
At that moment I realized how down-to-earth and approachable even a star like Hansjörg could be.
Louis Gundolf
Hansjörg always had a special meaning in our family. Later, when my dad was on an expedition with Hansjörg, David and Peter, an even closer bond developed. Although my dad worked there as a cameraman and safety guy, Hansjörg still came to our house again and again. Over time, he became a real friend, especially to my dad!
It is difficult for me to pick out a specific moment that made Hansjörg so influential in my career as a climber. But one quote from him has stuck in my mind.
I'm not sure if I can repeat it word for word, but he said that he was happier after a day on an alpine wall than after a day in a sport climbing garden. On the alpine wall he felt like he had done and experienced more. I know that feeling all too well, especially when I'm working on alpine projects.
Can you tell us something about the style and character of Ganesha Extension?
The route is very boulder-like with good rest positions in between and, if you are pumped, a very exciting end...
What makes this route probably the best route I've ever climbed is the fact that in the second crux you have to throw your feet over your head and then do a heel-toe-cam to move on.
At first I felt like I was in the circus and then later it became the best beta ever.
Louis Gundolf
What was the most challenging thing about this route?
Probably the fact that you have to climb two really hard boulders one after the other, both of which have to be perfectly honed. If you fall off the upper boulder, for example, you inevitably have to climb the first really hard boulder again in exactly the same way. So the challenge was definitely mental.
What do you take away from this visit?
This tour was probably the first time that the grade of the route didn't play any role for me. I'll try to take that with me for future climbs.
What scale do you think Ganesha Extension plays?
This season I only concentrated on the rock and didn't climb any competitions. Mainly because of my finger, but also for personal reasons. Because of my finger, my goal this year was to climb lots of intermediate routes in my area rather than ruining my finger again on a really difficult project. That's why I spent a lot of time in the Ötztal and surrounding areas this summer and was able to climb 18 routes graded 8c and harder.
Opinions differ on the first part of Ganesha as to whether it is 8c or 8c+. In my opinion, the first part cannot be compared with other routes in the same area or the Ötztal that are rated 8c. I even think that the first part of Ganesha is significantly harder than classics such as Don Pedro (8c+ Niederthai) and One Night Stand (8c+ Niederthai).
In my opinion, the upper part of Ganesha Extension is as heavy as the lower part, if not heavier!
Louis Gundolf
So you can imagine climbing the Ganesha 8c to 8c+, then you have a medium to good rest position and climb the same thing again. In total the route is about 35 meters long and not only bouldering but also very endurance-oriented.
That might interest you
- Happiness: The story of a Tyrolean first ascent legend
- This reportage shows the two deceased alpinists David Lama and Hansjörg Auer
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Credits: Cover picture Matteo Mocellin