Roger Schaeli Makes Second Ascent of La Vida es Silbar, Eiger North Face
Swiss climber Roger Schaeli makes the second free ascent of La Vida es Silbar (V 7c 5.12d) on the infamous Eiger North Face in Switzerland.
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The Swiss climber Roger Schaeli has made the second known free ascent
of La Vida Es Silbar (V 7c/5.12d) on the infamous Eiger North Face in Switzerland. He climbed the 900-meter, 27-pitch route with Nose speed-record holder Mayan Smith-Gobat.
“I am happy to score the second redpoint of La Vida Es Silbar after 13 years!” he says.
La Vida Es Silbar begins at the Stollenloch and ascends the Rote Fluh and the Czech Pillar of the Eiger North Face. Daniel Anker and Stephan Siegrist,
also Swiss climbers, established the line in 1999, but the first free ascent, by Siegrist and Ueli Steck, didn’t come until 2003. The technical and
sustained route was considered the hardest free climb on the Eiger until Steck and Siegrist freed Paciencia (8a 5.13b) five years later.
Odyssee (8a+ 5.13c), established by Schaeli, Robert Jasper (Germany) and Simon Gietl (Italy) in August 2015, now holds that title.
Schaeli first attempted La Vida Es Silbar 13 years ago with Simon Anthamatten, but they were hit by a thunderstorm only four pitches below the
summit and were forced to bivy for the night and then bail the next morning. In the years since, no team has managed to make a free ascent.
This time around, Schaeli took his revenge and managed to complete the climb for its second known
free ascent. Smith-Gobat, who underwent shoulder surgery only four months ago, nearly climbed the entire route, but a few moves in its 900 meters thwarted
her ascent.
“Incredible climbing, rock and a visionary line—La Vida Es Silbar was an awesome first taste of the Eiger,” Smith-Gobat
wrote on Instagram. “Psyched to share this experience with Roger Schaeli who did the second known ascent of this route.”
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