Steps Across the Border - Who can do the complete repetition of this route?

Numerous top climbers tried the route Steps Across the Border - without success. For a quarter of a century, the world's first alpine first ascent without bolts in difficulty level X- (8a) by Darshano L. Rieser and Ingo Knapp on the Marmolada south face has been waiting for a complete repetition.

A contribution by Hp. J. Schrattenthaler

A quarter of a century has passed since Darshano L. Rieser and Ingo Knapp delivered their personal masterpiece: the Marmolada route, baptized with the double name “Steps across the border” (X-), which they (partly with friend Hp. Jesus Schrattenthaler) succeeded in the best possible style: in the lead from below, without bolts, without cliff passages, without prior exploration from above, without technical preprotecting.

On October 11.10.1995th, XNUMX Steps across the border / perpendicular to the Tao climbed by the two red points: as the world's first alpine first ascent in the Xth degree of difficulty without bolts. Although well-known top climbers tried their hand at the milestone, no really complete repetition is known to this day.

Darshano L. Rieser in the Marmolada first ascent, Steps across the border. (Photo Ingo Knapp)
Darshano L. Rieser in the Marmolada first ascent, Steps across the border. (Photo Ingo Knapp)

Much Mayr and Kurt Astner have to turn back

The ground-up specialist Much Mayr succeeded with rope partner Kurt Astner Almost the ascent in 2001, but the day was too short for both of them and they had to do without the last three pitches. After all, Much had both key pitches with grade X- points.

Similar game: Hansjörg Auer and Roberto Benvenuti just fail

The same thing happened in 2007 for the top alpinist, who has unfortunately had an accident Hansjörg Auer together with Thomas Scheiber and in 2010 the Italian elite climber Roberto Benvenuti with companions.

Everyone agreed: It is probably the most difficult Trad multi-pitch route.

Everyone agreed that this route is probably the most possible in the alpine world without bolts in the limestone and confirmed the tenth degree of difficulty. Now, in October 2020, 25 years have passed since the first ascent.

Ingo Knapp, who played a key role in the first ascent of "Steps across the border / Senkrecht ins Tao", on the lower key pitch of the bolt-free XNUMX-man route in the Marmolada south face (Photo: Darshano L. Rieser)
Ingo Knapp, who played a key role in the first ascent of "Steps across the border / Senkrecht ins Tao", on the lower key pitch of the bolt-free XNUMX-man route in the Marmolada south face (Photo: Darshano L. Rieser)

These tours by Darshano have resisted repetition for 30 years

With Darshano's second hussar piece, the now legendary Lärmstangen east face in the Tux Alps (“Odyssey of the youth”, bolt-free, VIII-, 1982, with climbing athlete Paul Koller) it took 29 (!) Years until the overall World Cup winner from 2008, Jorg Verhoeven, together with the Austrian State champion Marc Amann, was able to score the second ascent of this notorious route in 2011.

And with Darshano's third "Alpine monument", as Rofanführer author H. Salvenmoser called it, namely the Rosskopf north face route "Gold Rush", with the legendary run out in the 30th degree, even 1982 years should pass before the test piece, the Darshano with Hannes Eder and climbing genius Wolfgang Müller succeeded in 2012, then finally from the rope team in XNUMX Hansjörg Auer/Elijah Holzknecht repeated from bottom to top in one go. Auer and Holzknecht even gave the tour a new exit in the IX. Degree, also without bolts.

Must do on the Marmolada route Steps across the border / perpendicular to the Tao 30 years also pass before the complete repetition of this first bolt-free ten finally falls?

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