On the 25. July 2018 realized the German professional spin-off Michi Wohlleben a record climb: he returned 70 kilometers and 7000 altitude exposed and brittle ridge climbing at the Weather Stone Council in just 40 hours. The ascent was filmed by Whiteroom Productions. Details on the film can be found below.
A report on the commission of the Wettersteingrat by Michi Wohlleben in the summer 2018
What happens if the motivation grabs you? If your goal does not let go of your sight? You push your tenacity to the limits? How long do you last? The German professional mountaineer and adidas TERREX athlete Michi Wohlleben Set the bar high in summer 2018: He wants to cross the Wetterstein ridge non-stop without a break. 70 kilometers and 7000 meters of exposed and brittle ridge climbing lie in front of him, spread over countless peaks - including the Alpspitze, the German Zugspitze, the Dreithorspitze and the Schlüsselkar. A project that combines 6-7 ambitious day tours. The goal: Michi would like to complete the tour in just thirty-five hours.
In addition to strength and endurance, mental stamina and concentration are required. Mistakes are not allowed. In order to prepare for the stress in the best possible way, Michi undergoes a hard and structured training plan for months under the guidance of friend and trainer Alex Scherl. It takes a lot of discipline to hold out the recurring, gradually increasing units. Michi has to learn to stay focused and agile, even when his body is screaming with exhaustion.
However, the foundation stone for the project lies already in his childhood. "There are of course my parents," says Michi, "on the one hand my inherited stubborn skull and the other have taught to finish what I start." Supported by the climbing trainer and expeditionary squad, the young alpinist develops early on into a gifted all-rounder. His childhood hero and later training partner Ueli Steck opens up a new perspective on mountaineering. Through him but also through the many speed and non-stop visits to Watzmann, the Zugspitze, the Droites North Face or Fitz Roy get distance and time for Michi a new meaning. So the athlete begins to look for challenges, with the goal of being even faster and longer on the road.
His enthusiasm for the Wetterstein Mountains arises during the many time Michi spends there as a mountain guide and during formative first ascents such as "Die Hard", "Sleeping Beauty" or "Optimist". Looking at the Wetterstein mountain range from the air, a large horseshoe results.
"Drawing a line on this horseshoe has always been a dream of mine - not somehow, but as fast as possible. All the more aesthetic, impressive and impossible, the more fascinating. "
Michi Wohlleben
Not only physically, but also mentally, the project is ambitious. When Michi leaves on 25.07.2018 at 01 clock in Schanz to try to cross, he is accompanied by his friend David Bruder. "I did a lot of mental training and know my body well. But how do I deal with it, for example, if I go in the ascent? "Michi explains his decision not to break up alone. The second mental hurdle already follows with the rising of the sun. "An unforgettable sunrise. With him, however, opened the view to the distant Zugspitze. I wished I did not know the terrain until then, but knew exactly how long it would take me to get there, "recalls Michi. "In a marathon, you like to talk about how hard the long straights are, where you see the end and feel like moving at a snail's pace."
The sunrise also brings a physical challenge: the rising temperatures make it difficult to move forward from the first refreshment break at the Meilerhütte.
“I had planned my drinking perfectly. From the Meilerhütte to the Gatterl 2 liters in approx. 10 hours. I knew that every droplet that I sweat too much can cost my head and neck. So I had to reduce the pace. "
When he reaches the Gatterlköpfe after about 45km, 4000hm and 18 hours, a high spring cloudiness has already lowered the temperatures. However, the relief is only short, because northeast a storm cloud piles up. "According to weather radar, this would go by, but the tension was great. I had this queasy feeling in the stomach and should be right. Suddenly a huge storm cell is building over the Zugspitze on, "says Michi. It only takes minutes for the clouds to turn from white to dark gray and thunder, hail and wind break over the ridge. Michi and Alex Scherl, who accompany him from Gatterl, wait seven long and cold hours in the bivouac, before the rain subsides at three o'clock and one hour later they decide to continue on their way.
A look at the clock reveals that the project has failed. Achieving the goal in Hammersbach in under 35 hours is no longer realistic. Nevertheless, Michi finds back to the project. "I was very happy when the flow and spirits came back to 30min," he says. "The key posts flew past us. We marched in a hurry to the Schneefernerkopf and on over the ridge to the Zugspitze. "
The last big challenge awaits the experienced mountaineer on the well-known Blassegrat. "I made the ridge many times. Unfortunately only in ascending direction. We dropped him off. ", Michi reminds herself. "And since my head stopped working so slowly, I felt a bit like a drunk, in a strange city, who does not know which subway he has to take to get to his hotel, whose name he does not know." But even the last hurdle leaves Michi behind, mastering the difficult climbing passages and runs with unimaginable energy, the last 8km in the valley.
After nearly 40 hours, he stands in the grass and knows it's over. Whether he is satisfied with his performance? Michi says: "In 40 hours from Schanz to Hammersbach. I wanted to make it into 28-35h. If we pull off the 7 hours in the bivouac, the bill was not so bad. Satisfied? Yes. "He adds:" It was probably the most intense 40 hours of my life that I would not want to miss. "When Michi looks back today, the memory conjures up a small smile on his lips. The sporting ambition remains. Finally, he says: "Maybe I'll go back sometime, because I'm convinced you can run this ridge in under 24 hours. Whether I'll do that is in the stars. However, I have laid the foundation for it. "
Trailer for the movie Weather Stein ridge with Michi Wohlleben
Here is the movie to see
The film will be screened at the St. Anton Filmfestival, Tegernseer Filmfest, Bergsichten Dresden, the Boff Filmtour as well as 2020 on ServusTV.
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Pictures Whiteroom Productions