TRILOGY OF HARD MIX MULTI-PITCH ROUTES

Erik Švab is the first climber to complete the “trilogy” of the hardest mixed multi-pitch routes in the world with the ascent of “Empire strikes back” M10+, 4 pitches, the last winter first repetition of “Jedi Master” M11, 5 pitches, both in Val d’Aosta-Italy, and the second repetition of “Illuminati” M11 WI6+, 5 pitches, in Vallunga-Dolomites-Italy.

 It has taken him two winter seasons and 20 years of climbing experience to be the first climber in the world to complete the TRILOGY of the hardest modern dry-tooling multi-pitch routes, which are all situated in Italy but were climbed all by different foreign climbers. Erik climbed all the routes in ‘pure style’ without spurs and in rotpunkt style: single push and all the hard pitches were climbed on lead in the same day.

 1) “Empire strikes back” is the first historical multi-pitch route of this type, climbed by legendary British climber Stevie Haston in year 2000 on a steep wall in Valleile, a side valley in Cogne - Val d’Aosta in Italy. It remains a physical and mentally hard climb with the single pitches difficulties: M8, M10+, M6 WI 4+. The route was climbed several times, but not many are the ascents in ‘pure style’ and without spurs. Erik Švab climbed the route like the last in the trilogy in a day of efforts belayed by young Slovenian Lovro Vršnik the 23 February 2008.

 2) “Jedi Master” was created and climbed by Scottish climber Scott Muir in 2005 and is situated right of the Empire with the first 2 pitches at M10- and M11, while the third pitch of M9 remains left on rock and exit on an impressive icicle at the end of the overhang. Erik Švab and Slovenian Dejan Miškoviè have made the first repetition and the first ascent without spurs (Scott Muir have climbed it only with spurs, which is significantly easier on this route). During their first attempt Dejan climbed flash the first and Erik the second pitch, but they were forced to return one more time to climb all the pitches in one day both on lead and in rotpunkt style the 18 February 2007. After theri ascent also other two Slovenian guys have climbed it in 2007: Luka Kranjc and Marko Lukiè.

 3) “Illuminati” was climbed in 2006 by Austrian Albert Leichtfried and repeated only at the beginning of 2008 by south-tyrolean Florian Riegler. The route is very committing because it is exposed and ‘illuminated’ by the sun in the upper - icy part all the day with enormous hanging icicles and candles in Vallunga, a lateral valley of Val Gardena in Dolomites - Italy. The difficulties of the single pitches are: M11, M10+, M8 WI5, WI6+. The rock is not very good and sometimes loose, so you must be very careful and it’s easy to broke some hold or feets and fall off. In the third pitch you make a traverse and reach an impressive more than 20 meters hanging candle to exit the big overhang. It is without doubts the hardest of the TRILOGY and really a mixed route because after the overhanged dry-tooling part you have the last ice pitch with a hard candle exposed to the sun with difficulties at WI 6+ with overhanging and bad ice. The second repetition was made by Slovenian Klemen Premrl and Erik Švab the 16 February 2008 with both climbers leading the hardest pitches.

 M13 for the end of the season

In this very good and lucky season Erik Švab have closed the season and climbed the 9 march 2008 also the hardest dry-tooling route in Europe “Law and order” M13 at Diebsofen near Kitzbuhel in Austria. It is only the 4th repeat of this route and probably the quickest (6 tries in two days). With “Game over” M13- (in Dryland, also in Austria) climbed in 2007, Erik is today one of the few persons to have climbed both the hardest dry-tooling routes in Europe.

Erik Švab

CAAI – Club Alpino Accademico italiano

 Thanks to Grivel, Montura, La Sportiva for the technical assistance. For the full story, pictures, slideshows and infos you can contact me at: erik.svab@servis.it or by phone at +39-348-5914914.