Christian Stangl
Christian Stangl (* July 10, 1966 in Mooslandl ) is an Austrian mountaineer and " Skyrunner ". He was known by many especially fast ascents of high mountains. In 2010, Stangl became known to a wider audience when he was forced to admit to have not reached the summit of K2 as previously claimed ( 8611 m). The controversy led to further doubts about his previous successes by themselves. But in 2012, he could undoubtedly reach the highest point of K2. Since then, he strives to clear evidence of his ascents.
Life and things
Childhood and youth
Christian Stangl was born in 1966 in Mooslandl in the east of the Gesäuse. His father, a timber load driver, Stangl was a frequent participant in the course of his work into the mountains with so Stangl began with hiking and mountain climbing at an early stage. After school Stangl learned the profession of electrical engineer. At 15, he was already on her own multi-day tours. A little later he began the climb and took first blast in the western Alps. Soon came the first solo and speed ascents, Enchaînements and winter mountaineering, mainly in Gesäuse. In 1989, he began training to become a mountain guide.
Altitude mountaineering
With the high-altitude mountaineering Christian Stangl began in the early 1990s. When trying to climb his first seven thousand, the 7285 m high Ogre, he was severely injured by an avalanche in 1991. This was followed by an attempt on Latok II in 1993 and several high Andean peaks. In 1998, Stangl with the Shisha Pangma his first eight-thousanders, which he ascended the mountain according to his information first about the " British Route" in the south wall solo and in alpine style. In the next few years Stangl attempted first ascents on Gasherbrum I and was able to record a solo ascent of Cho Oyu (2001), according to his information, it involves a first ascent.
Beginning of the " Skyrunning "
As of 1995, Stangl developed at faster climbing high peaks of the Andes the idea altitude mountaineering try out "on time " and to get the lower material requirements with fast, one-day inspections advantage. In 2002, he climbed Aconcagua in 4h 25min from base camp to summit, which he describes as his first Skyrun. In 2003 he undertook with his " jogging High - project" a first Serienskyrun, which included nine six-thousand in 18 days. The following year he attempted Broad Peak a first ascent of an eight -thousand in one day, reaching the Kibo in 5 hours 36min. 2005 ascended Stangl in the Andes six-thousand- ten in seven days, followed in 2006 by three six-thousand in one day.
In his theoretical conception of Skyrunnings Stangl oriented towards the alpine style and called his climbing style themselves as " Super Alpine style ". This refers to the abandonment of fixed high camp, and artificial oxygen carrier. Stangl used, however, if any, prepared by other teams tracks and fixed ropes, so that his climbing style often differs in crucial respects from the alpine style.
Seven Summits Speed Project
With the first ascent of Mount Everest within one Day 2006 Stangl began his attempt all Seven Summits, the highest peaks of the continents to climb in the sky-running style. This project he completed on 7 December 2007 with a new record on Mount Vinson successfully. The total time for climbing all seven summits he indicates 58 hours and 45 minutes, it amounts to about one-eighth of the usual time.
The individual times in this enterprise were:
- Mount Everest: 16:42
- Aconcagua 4:25; record
- Denali: 16:45
- Elbrus: 5:18; record
- Kibo: 5:36; record
- Mount Vinson: 9:10; record
- Carstensz Pyramid: 0:49; record
More Skyrunning projects
It was followed by four six-thousand in one day (2008) and in the same year a first attempt on K2. Stangl had to stop after 11 people were killed as a result of avalanches. In 2008, Stangl graduated from his mountain guide training. As a result, he developed the idea, even to climb the Seven Summits in Second Skyrunning style and thus the first one ascending both the Seven Summits and the Seven Second Summits. Since 2009 he has pursued this goal under the title " 14 seven summits".
Controversy surrounding the K2 2010
A special mountaineering performance Stangl was recorded on 12 August 2010 as part of his " 14 seven summits" project for themselves. He stated, at 10 clock in the morning the summit of K2 ( 8611 m), the second highest mountain on earth to have reached. Stangl had been traveling a total of 70 hours at this tour, it would have been record time. He would also be the first climbers since 2008 have been, which would have reached the summit of K2. For of him, " 14 Seven Summits " baptized project, which the ascent of the Seven Summits and the Seven Second Summits thinks the Styrian therefore still lacks the Mount Tyree, the Stangl wanted to climb in December 2010.
However, there was very quickly doubts about this climb. Thus, according to the mountaineers who were with Stangl at the same time on K2, as Zsolt Török, George Dijmarescu and Maxut Zhumayev, no traces of Stangl have been present in the way described by himself. Thus, the route described by Stangl he could not have taken her opinion.
The weather in the pictures of the summit ascent does not match the prevailing conditions on the day of the description. Thus, the images show a sunny day, in contrast to the observations of the climbers on K2.
Furthermore, Stangl was after returning from K2 in perfect health, no signs of exhaustion could be seen. That same day, Stangl went to the home. So were two inaccurate photos, the only evidence of summit success, because he wore neither mobile nor GPS device with you.
Stangl himself gave up on demand, not wanting to speak on this topic, but declined shortly thereafter in an e -mail comment on the allegations and founded the inaccurate summit photo with the fact, to have stood alone at the summit, and on the way down partly to have taken a different path and to be so does not encounter the other climbers.
On 7 September 2010 Stangl admitted that he had not reached the summit of K2. The supposed top photo was taken at the summit about 1,000 meters in altitude. Stangl claimed to be so much been under pressure, that he the summit ascent had only imagined. According to media reports, September 8, 2010 Stangl had not left the base camp at 5,300 m altitude. As the weather on that day not to heaven in the " summit photo " fits and the photo was taken after a comparison with earlier images in the vicinity of camp 3, it is believed that it comes from an earlier test.
Other criticisms
Since Stangl's confession not to have reached the summit of K2, the doubts are reinforced in other of his statements. A critical review should, inter alia, who claimed in his official biography first solo ascent of the route of the British Shishapangma in Tibet do not stand up in 1998: " Mr. Stangl was part of a Basque expedition, and he made the whole climb in the team with the Basque climber Kike de Pablos. They shared also tent and food, "said the Mexican climber Héctor Ponce de León, who was also there at the time. Stangl said: " There were only a single time window. How could I do to prevent someone to me also runs parallel to the mountain? "
The situation is similar with the ascent of the 8188 meter high Cho Oyu in 2001, which marketed the Styrian as a " new chapter of Alpine history " and "the new route to an eight -thousand single-handedly ." On the climb Stangl more here initially from the standard way from, but the last 1400 meters in height, he played on the conventional route. And it alone is controversial: Stangl stayed at 7500 meters in the tent of the Italian Marco Chiantore. Both - as confirmed Chiantore - broke then together to the summit, they also achieved the same time.
Also Stangl details on his ascent of Mount Everest in 2006 to be decorated. The state's mountain leader Wilfried Studer - he was then on the spot - is sure that Stangl is not started as alleged by the upstream base camp at 6500 meters, but from the North Col at 7,000 meters altitude. In contradiction to the principle of " skyrunners ", regardless above base camp unassisted, is another detail: Shortly before the summit, as attested Studer, ordered the Styrian via radio cooking gas, which a few hours before Stangl start to camp on a carrier the North Col brought.
Other companies and Private
Christian Stangl undertook in his youth long bike rides. So he went in 1985 in 28 days through the Alps, where he climbed mountains like Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Ortler. 2005 crossed the Atacama Desert Stangl alone in 34 days, which he put back a distance of 900 kilometers. As training he goes for long bike rides, so he drove around 2002 in 21 days of Admont to Gibraltar.
Christian Stangl works as a mountain guide and project managers. He heads further lectures and seminars for executives. With his partner, who is also involved in the organization of his undertakings, he lives in Hall at Admont.