Fabian Buhl Expands Repertoire With Six-Pitch Silbergeier (5.14a)
Fabian Buhl, a German climber with a history of strong bouldering, sent the technical limestone route on October 2nd.
Unlock this article and more benefits with 40% off.
Already have an Outside Account? Sign in
40% Off Outside+.
$4.99/month $2.99/month*
Get the one subscription to fuel all your adventures.
- Map your next adventure with our premium GPS apps: Gaia GPS Premium and Trailforks Pro.
- Read unlimited digital content from 15+ brands, including Outside Magazine, Triathlete, Ski, Trail Runner, and VeloNews.
- Watch 600+ hours of endurance challenges, cycling and skiing action, and travel documentaries.
- Learn from the pros with expert-led online courses.
*Outside memberships are billed annually. Print subscriptions available to U.S. residents only. You may cancel your membership at anytime, but no refunds will be issued for payments already made. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year. More Details
Fabian Buhl, of Germany, has repeated Silbergeier, the 5.14a classic multi-pitch at Rätikon, Switzerland. Buhl adds the perfectly-vertical route to a strong ticklist of boulder problems and single-pitch trad routes.
Buhl began thinking about multi-pitch climbing when he sent Prinzip Hoffnug, a 5.14a, thinly-protected trad route in Austria.
“I have heard a lot about the beauty of this route and the fantastic alpine limestone,” Buhl wrote on his blog.
He traveled to Rätikon with Manu Brunn in the summer, but they were deterred by heavy rain. Before Buhl traveled to Romania for the Petzl RocTrip, he and Brunn almost made a team ascent, according to Buhl’s blog. Buhl had to rework the beta when he returned from his two weeks in Eastern Europe, took a few rest days and gave it another try last on October 2 with Chris Bindhammer belaying him.
Loading
Here is the link to my blog about my time in Silbergeier at Rätikon. I could get an ascent of this amazing route last thursday! http://fabibuhl.jimdo.com/blog/ Thanks to @petzl_official @skinourishment @lasportivagram for the great support! #amazingroute #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #alpine #limestone photo credits; Stefan Kürzi
“I reached the ledge after the fourth pitch really fast and had a lot of time to rest and try the crux pitch,” Buhl posted on his blog. “Unfortunately, the clouds went away and we had 30°C [86°F] and no wind up there. My first try ended on the very last move of the crux pitch because I slipped.”
He waited for cooler temperatures in the evening and got back on the route. He fell off on the final pitch when a foothold broke, but sent on his second try.
“Then it was done and I was on top of Silbergeier. I felt relieved and enjoyed a very nice sundown.”
The send was even more impressive considering Buhl fractured his ankle twice in 2013.
Buhl is proving to be a strong climber across all disciplines, adding Silbergeier to his list of first ascents of problems up to V14 and a repeat of Fred Nicole’s Dreamtime (V15), as well as Prinzip Hoffnung on gear.
“For me Silbergeier marks another stage on my way to become an all-around climber,” Buhl said on his blog, “and it was an incredible joy to get adapted to the technical and balancy climbing style.”
Silbergeier, an almost 800-foot six-pitch route featuring technical limestone and long runouts, was first sent by legendary Austrian climber Beat Kammerlander 1993 in just a day.
Watch Nina Caprez and Cedric Lachat on the first female ascent of Silbergeier.