Alpine style

The Alpine style is a variant of high altitude mountaineering, where the entire ascent is provided "as in the Alps " is performed. This means that even the highest mountains to the eight-thousanders as a small rope team without outside help, without previously prepared on a train from base camp to the summit and back are boarded. The required food and the entire alpine equipment are carried along himself. Tents are set up in case of need and packed up again the next morning. It completely rejects the use of bottled oxygen and to " Belagerungsalpinismus " as is characteristic of the classic expedition style: High support, fixed high camp, material deposits, fixed ropes, ladders, etc. Thus, alpine style, as regards the means employed and practices the opposite of ascents in expedition style. An ascent in alpine style, however, does not rule out that the foot of the mountain (or the base camp ) is achieved in the context of an expedition.

In high-altitude mountaineering, alpine-style applies to difficult routes than major challenge of skills and risk-taking of climbers and successes are seen as sporty high quality. To date, most ascents of the highest mountains of Asia and America are carried out in expedition style. Alpine style is more the exception to these mountains and is confined mainly to the difficult routes. Since the first alpine -style ascent of an eight -thousand-meter - the ascent of Gasherbrum I by Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler in 1975 - there have been spectacular successes in these thoughtful with particular public interest in mountains. Few climbers have reached several of these peaks, alpine-style, none have so far tried on all fourteen eight-thousanders.

Descriptions

The term " alpine style " has experienced no fixed definition, but is used uniformly in the art. The Elizabeth Hawley biographer Bernadette McDonald describes it as follows:

"Alpine -style climbing, Which is gene rally defined as climbing a route in a single, continuous push without external help, without preplaced fixed rope, camps, or caches of supplies, and without reconnoitering the route. "

" Climbing in alpine style, which is commonly defined as a route to climb in a single, continuous rise without external help without exploring previously set fixed ropes, bearings, or hoarded supplies, and without the route before."

Chris Bonington approaches the term ex negative:

"True alpine style is without any kind of preparation or recce 's "

" True alpine style is without any preparation or exploration "

Reinhold Messner said of his ascent Gasherbrum -I 1975:

"We first worked with this climb without any preliminary work, no high camps were built, no fixed ropes were imposed, we had no high altitude porters, we just got each with his backpack from the base camp high, for three days, the tent further and further to pushing up, have reached the summit of this eight -thousand and are [ ... ] returned to base camp. And this style, called Alpine - style ' has not only given me the opportunities in the future to finance all the expeditions themselves, because they were much cheaper than the expensive Himalayan style expeditions, he was also much more elegant, he was the future [ ... ] of high altitude mountaineering. "

Similarly sounds a description of Gearfried Goeschl a 2009 completed new route variation on the Diamir face of Nanga Parbat:

" [ ... ] In the mountaineering supreme discipline, in alpine style, that is, no fixed ropes, no prepared stock, no artificial oxygen, no foreign aid as carrier. We just packed our backpacks at the base camp, are broken up and marched to the summit. We climbed four days on the ridge, each step completely uncharted territory. "

Development

Serious summit attempts and successful ascents were needed to the high mountains of the world very early. In the Himalayas, from about 1850 British explorer and surveyor climbed numerous six-thousand, some of these ascents today would fall under the term " alpine style " because they were made as long as direct day trip to the summit. With very purist means Albert Mummery made ​​in 1895, the first summit attempts on Nanga Parbat ( 8125 m) and could with only one companion in the Diamir flank about 2000 meters, down to about 6600 meters, rising. In 1937, Herbert Tichy reached at Gurla Mandhata ( 7694 m) with the means of alpine style ( two people, one tent, direct ascent) a height of about 7200 meters.

However, had already shown early on that for the ascent of seven-and eight -thousanders of the expedition style is much more successful strategy. The use of oxygen tanks was against controversial from the start and has been used, except for the ascent of experiments on the highest eight-thousanders in only a few other mountains. In 1924, Edward Norton had indeed reached a height of about 8600 meters in the expedition style, but without additional oxygen on Mount Everest. Nevertheless, the opinion prevailed in the following years by a majority that the highest eight thousand could be climbed only with additional oxygen.

Against the spirit of the great material and labor -consuming expeditions small expeditions were organized to the highest mountains of Asia and over again. Often thereby lower costs were crucial, but there were also climbers who showed a preference based on their personal setting small enterprises. This classified expeditions considered an important pioneer of alpine style. In 1936, the first ascent of Nanda Devi ( 7816 m) was the first important success for a small team of seven conceived British climbers. There were no fixed ropes installed, does not use bottled oxygen and Sherpas were over 6200 meters no longer in use. Three years later, Fritz Wiessner reached with a small American expedition organized by him on K2 ( 8611 m), a height of about 8400 meters. In 1954, the first ascent of Cho Oyu ( 8188 m) by Herbert Tichy was designed as a small expedition, the team consisted of three European climbers and seven Sherpas, the expedition luggage and meals weighed only 800 kilograms. A year earlier the English expedition had the first ascent of Mount Everest requires 350 carriers and 13 tons of material.

In 1957, all four climbers a small Austrian expedition reached on the same day the summit of Broad Peak ( 8056 m). The entire preparatory work on the mountain was carried out by the four Erstbesteigern Hermann Buhl, Kurt Diem Berger, Marcus Schmuck and Fritz Winter dish. The expedition returned with two tons of material and did not use supplemental oxygen. There were three high camp set up and secured about 500 meters fixed rope above camp 2. This approach was later referred to as " Western Alps style ". Immediately after this success was jewelry and winter dish still the first ascent of Skil Brum ( 7410 m), while they increased from Broad Peak base camp to the foot of the south-west wall ( 6060 m), there built up their tent, reached directly the next day the summit and returned to the tent. The next day, they went back down to Broad Peak base camp. For full tour they needed a total of only 53 hours were limited to a minimum of material, which they brought with them fully in backpacks, and waived any preliminary work on the ascent route as high camp chain, fixed ropes, exploring or similar - it was the first successful summit in alpine style on a seven -thousand. Hermann Buhl and Kurt Diem Berger tried a few days later also with heavy backpacks and in a train from Broad Peak base camp from a first ascent. They chose the nearby Chogolisa ( 7668 m). At a height of about 7300 meters reached they had to turn back because of weather change during the descent Buhl was killed by a Wächtenabbruch. The exploits of 1957 were important precursors for the alpine style on the highest mountains of the world, but the term " alpine style " was not coined until much later.

In 1975, Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner reached with a fast and direct ascent through the north -west wall of Gasherbrum I ( also known as Hidden Peak, 8080 m) for the first time the summit of an eight -thousand-meter alpine style (see Messner's quote above ). For this procedure when climbing high mountains of the term " alpine style " was common at that time in the art already. Thus, the English Pendent of the term, alpine style, used in the American Alpine Journal from around 1970 regularly. A wide audience but became known only through this ascent and subsequent publications and public appearances Messner, the term and its meaning.

In the 1970s, the use of supplemental oxygen was again into question more strongly, all five high eight thousand were now first climbed without this tool, but the proven expedition style. The start was made in 1975 on Makalu, followed by Lhotse (1977 ), Mount Everest ( 1978), K2 (1978) and Kanchenjunga (1979). Particular attention had it aroused Messner and Habeler with their ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen, they also benefited as members of an expedition of their infrastructure ( high carrier, fixed ropes, high camp ), but they had shown that it is possible, the highest peak on earth to achieve without bottled oxygen, which has previously been doubted by many.

The alpine style brought Messner 1980 to Mount Everest, he did not vote for climbing up and down the Norton Couloir, also on the ladder at the Second Step to rely, and he also went during the monsoon season in August to any temptations of his solo to avoid alpine style ascent. He was so completely alone on the mountain and excluded foreign aid. The ascent took place in a train from the base camp to the summit and back without first scale deposits or high camp. He needed it about four days.

In August 1986 Erhard Loretan and Jean Troillet only took about 40 hours for its spectacular alpine style ascent of the north face of Mount Everest, the equipment was reduced to an absolute minimum, they engaged in self-dug snow caves. Many other famous climbers have completed difficult since the 1970s and spectacular alpine style ascents to high seven -thousanders and the fourteen eight-thousanders. In recent years, in particular North American climbers have made ​​a name with first ascents in alpine style. Was awarded the prestigious Piolet d'Or about the new route by Vince Anderson and Steve House by the Nanga Parbat Rupal edge at (2005) or the commission of a new route on Chomolhari by Marko Prezlj and Boris Lorencic (2007).

Demands and dangers

The mental and physical demands on the individual climbers are almost always significantly higher in the alpine style over expedition style climbing under otherwise identical conditions. Due to the low fuel and food resources each alpine style ascent is limited in time to a few days. Therefore, speed is an important prerequisite for the success of a summit attempt. Although a relatively short stay on the mountain can be reduced by avalanches, weather change and altitude sickness is a danger, however, shifts the risk situation, since the occurrence of an emergency situation, not on the infrastructure and logistics of an expedition ( high camp chain, fixed ropes, supplies, assistance from lower camps ) can be used. Any help from the outside, if at all possible, requires significantly more time to arrive on the spot.

The equipment and food must be planned very carefully in an alpine style ascent to hold the backpack weight so low that a successful summit is possible while everything you need is available. For an alpine style ascent significantly less baggage as a whole is usually required than for an expedition -style enterprise. Therefore alpine style is often referred to as a " lightweight " (English light-weight ). For all equipment and food must always be given to the lowest possible weight. Nevertheless, the Mountaineers have at large alpine-style tours usually significantly heavier backpacks to wear as a mountaineer who are traveling as part of an expedition and therefore obtain comprehensive assistance of high beams or large portions of the material they have deposited in previous climbs even in high camps.

Misconceptions

The complex demands of an alpine style ascent are often wrong or incomplete perceived by the public and the media and sometimes reinterpreted by mountaineers or inaccurately documented to enhance their own ascents called alpine style. An alpine style ascent can therefore only be judged by outsiders, if the parties to document their success in detail and correctly.

It often happens that climbers of many successes to report in alpine style, which can be counted upon closer knowledge of the processes as " oriented at an alpine style ascent ." For example, the ascent of the most eight thousand on the normal routes and during normal climbing season is not in alpine style possible because foreign or buddy aid because of the large number of climbers can not be excluded and a prepared route without own preliminary work is available.

At the eight-thousanders it is widespread that climbers from different teams alternated during exhausting deep snow tracks, and there are regular controversy when individual climbers are accused only benefit from the work of others or the track work completely transfer their Sherpas. In an alpine-style ascent of all foreign aid and thus the benefits provided sprinter routes or pre sprinter route sections is excluded. A resource-efficient allocation of the track work can be done only within the Alpine-style teams.

Mixed forms

Meanwhile, numerous mixed forms of expedition style and alpine style have evolved. At the eight-thousand - normal routes are now some style-conscious climbers in reference to the Alpine style with all the material (including tent) in backpacking, consciously avoid high carrier and bottles of oxygen, but can not avoid the already -prepared route ( fixed ropes, ladders, pre- sprinter deep snow ) to use. Such an ascent is sporty superior than the traditional expedition style, but can be regarded neither as yet alpine style as " without outside help ."

In 1996, the Swedish mountaineer Göran Kropp was trying to achieve without any outside help to the summit of Mount Everest via the southern route. He drove from Sweden about 15,000 kilometers by bicycle to Nepal, conducting an all material and expedition food for the climb with, then transported everything without carrier assistance to the base camp and sought himself a way through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall, so as not to the fixed ropes and ladders of the other expeditions to rely. Kropp launched the first climbers to the spring season and therefore had at his summit attempt not prepared and pre spurts route. Shortly below the summit, he had to give up on 8750 meters above sea level mainly because of the debilitating Tiefschneespurens. At the second summit attempt as he could, this time together with other climbers reach the summit. However, the first attempt was despite the utter renunciation of foreign aid no alpine style, as he has not addressed the summit in a train from the base camp, but some routes has gone several times to cope with load carrying.

Recognition

Away from the normal routes, it is generally respected when climbers (eg an eight-thousand - wall ) only tackle a difficult and large section of the entire climb in alpine style and then the document correctly. Such an ascent can achieve the highest recognition depending on the difficulty of the route. In 2007, for example, Karl Unterkirchner and Daniele Bernasconi succeeded for the first time the commission of the North Face of Gasherbrum II ( 8034 m ) in a Direttissima on the north-east pillar, a difficult and dangerous route they mastered in approximately 6000 meters height from a depot in alpine style. In the lower part of the wall, they have had some fixed ropes attached.

Since alpine style is extremely difficult and dangerous to eight-thousand, he has never really caught on among the " eight-thousanders - collectors ". Even the most well-known advocate of Alpine style, Reinhold Messner, made ​​after his big alpine style ascents again by means of the expedition style use.

In 2009 Boris Dedeshko and Denis Urubko demonstrated very clearly that at one of the most frequented eight thousand alpine style is still possible without compromise. They climbed on May 6, 2009, in the south-east wall of Cho Oyu, reaching after a long direct ascent and four nights bivouac on a new route to the summit, for the descent via the ascent route, they needed another three days. They were throughout the first ascent alone on the road, carrying all the material as well as food and fuel for a week in a backpack with; no prior preparation work is, probing or Akklimatisierungsaufstiege on the route had taken place. For those carried out without compromise alpine style ascent they were awarded the Piolet d' Or 2010.

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