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This was a completely different kind of adventure, this time right on my doorstep. My motivation was the uncertainty of whether I was up to this level of difficulty.
I wanted to explore whether I could raise the bar a bit higher before my 50th birthday. Another reason for my enthusiasm was the beautiful line that runs through the shadow pillar on the north face of Kleiner Barmstein. This is where I experienced my beginnings in climbing at age 23 and where I grew as a climber on this piece of rock. In 2024, I made my first attempts on this route but couldn't yet clip the anchor. A hold breaking off in spring 2025 led to doubts, which I was quickly able to overcome with a new variation.
On April 30, 2025, the moment finally arrived - the grip was perfect thanks to the valley wind kicking in, and my companions were amazing supporters. But it would only succeed on the second attempt that day. When I reached the top, I could hardly believe my luck. It was the first time I had invested so much time and work in a sport climbing route. And by then, my 51st birthday had already passed ;)
Thank you Fritz Riess for your patience with belaying and thank you Claudia Ziegler for the photos and emotional support on the day of the send.
Facts
Elefantenspaziergang 8b+
45m is the extension of the mega dihedral 'Gute alte Zeiten' 7b and was already established and climbed by Bernhard Wolf in 1996. The route features 3 crux sections but is nevertheless very endurance-intensive.
Berchtesgaden Region, Kleiner Barmstein North/East Shadow Pillar
