Qui (climb)
Sport climbing route in Austria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Qui is a 32-metre (105 ft) sport climbing route at the Geisterschmiedwand, a limestone cliff face near Kufstein, in the Kaisertal Valley of the Zahmer Kaiser mountains of Tyrol, Austria. It is notable for its grade progression and a 23-year gap between its first ascent and its first repeat.
| Qui and Wagnis Orange | |
|---|---|
Kufstein and the Kaisertal: The Geisterschmiedwand lies at the wooded base on the right. | |
  Location within Tyrol, Austria | |
| Location | Geisterschmiedwand, Kufstein, Kaisertal, Zahmer Kaiser, Tyrol, Austria |
| Coordinates | 47°35′35.5″N 12°11′26.3″E |
| Climbing area | Geisterschmiedwand |
| Route type | |
| Rock type | Limestone |
| Vertical gain |
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| Pitches | 1 |
| Bolted by |
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Austrian climber Stefan Fürst achieved the first free ascent of the route in 1996 and originally graded it 8c+ (5.14c), though it was later upgraded to 9a (5.14d) by consensus. The route shares its first 10 metres (33 ft) with the line Wagnis Orange, first redpointed in 1988 by Austrian Gerhard Hörhager. Initially graded 8b+ (5.14a), Wagnis Orange was later re-evaluated as the world's second or third 8c (5.14b) route.
In September 2019, Czech climber Adam Ondra made the first repeat of Qui. Due to a crucial foothold that had broken during his early attempts in 2008, he upgraded the route to 9a+ (5.15a), a difficulty that has since been confirmed by subsequent ascents.
History
Wagnis Orange
Zillertal-based professional climber Gerhard Hörhager turned his focus to his home valley after gaining international sport climbing experience in Southern France and Australia. In the Zillertal, he established several of the region's first major sport climbing lines, including Sooner or Later 8a (5.13b) and Sagaro 8a+ (5.13c) at the climbing area Ewige Jagdgründe.[1] Afterwards, he turned his attention to the Geisterschmiedwand near Kufstein and opened the line Manray 8b (5.13d).[1]
Also at this venue in 1988,[2] he redpointed the 22-metre (72 ft) route Wagnis Orange,[a] originally grading it 8b+ (5.14a).[2] At the time, this difficulty represented the cutting edge of international sport climbing. Hörhager's ascent was driven by his belief that local cliffs held the potential for routes of the same level[b] as the 8b+ (5.14a) benchmark established by Wolfgang Güllich's Wallstreet in the Franconian Jura in 1987.[5]
According to climbing photographer Gerd Heidorn, Hörhager chose the name Wagnis Orange "after a book by the Indian guru Osho".[c]
Qui
First ascent
In the mid-1990s, the tall 1.90 metres or 6 feet 3 inches[6] nine-time Austrian national climbing champion[7] Stefan Fürst turned his attention to a then-nameless 32-metre (105 ft) project at the Geisterschmiedwand.[d] The line utilised the start of Wagnis Orange at its base and had already been bolted but remained unclimbed.[e] Fürst invested approximately 60 project days before securing the first free ascent in 1996.[9] He proposed a grade of 8c+ (5.14c), using Güllich's Action Directe—then tentatively considered an 8c+ (5.14c) line—as a historical benchmark.[10] As Fürst did not want to name the route himself, climbing photographer Heinz Zak chose the name Qui.[f]
First repetition and upgrade
In September 2019, Czech climber Adam Ondra made the first repeat of Qui, ending a 23-year gap since its first ascent, with the route's pioneer Fürst serving as his belayer.[12]
Between his first attempts in 2008 and his eventual success in 2019, Ondra spent a total of 10 days on the wall spread across various trips.[9] The route's difficulty led him to include it in a 2012 article for PlanetMountain titled "The routes I cannot climb!", noting that the wall is "not friendly for trying hard routes because it's notoriously wet despite being exposed to the sun from 9am onwards, which means the only time to try it is early in the morning."[2] Due to a crucial foothold that had broken during his initial attempts in 2008, Ondra—who described the crux of Qui as "very special and morphological"[9]—proposed a grade of 9a+ (5.15a).[12]
Route
General overview
Qui is located in Sector 1 of the south-facing limestone cliff Geisterschmiedwand at an elevation of 550 metres (1,800 ft) above sea level.[g] The entire cliff face is up to 80 metres (260 ft) high, and the 32-metre (105 ft) route ascends the vertical-to-overhanging limestone wall, characterised by roofs and bulges. The rock surface features crimps, pockets, and sinter cracks.[13]
Due to the local microclimate, the holds frequently retain moisture.[14] Therefore, successful climbing opportunities are limited.[h] Guidebook writer Markus Stadler recommends seasonal windows in the spring and autumn for high-end climbing.[i]
Section breakdown
In 2012, Ondra provided a breakdown of Qui's individual sections after several unsuccessful attempts. The ascent begins with the opening 10 metres (33 ft) of Wagnis Orange, a sustained stretch rated "at least" 8b+ (5.14a) difficulty, which he characterised by "bad crimps and slopers with poor rests".[2]
Afterwards, Wagnis Orange traverses right, while Qui continues straight up.[2] Following his 2020 ascent, German climber Roland Hemetzberger further detailed this transition, noting that this subsequent section begins with a "difficult, wide move",[j] bringing the route's difficulty up to around 8c (5.14b) or 8c+ (5.14c). Following this sequence, the route enters its main crux, which following the 2008 foothold breakage has a bouldering grade of approximately 8A (V11).[k] Ondra noted that this section requires "tiny crimpy sidepulls at their very best", describing it as a "heinous boulder".[2] A few more metres of sustained terrain then lead via vertical, technical climbing to the anchor.[l]
Legacy
Wagnis Orange was re-evaluated as an 8c (5.14b) line following repeated ascents, making it retrospectively the first 8c (5.14b) in Austria[m]—and arguably the second or third route of this grade in climbing history, after Güllich's Wallstreet (1987) in the Franconian Jura[5] and alongside Fred Nicole's Anaïs et le canabis (1988) in Swiss Saint-Loup.[17] This development established the blue-grey limestone of the Geisterschmiedwand as a significant venue for sport climbing.[18]
The focus of maximum difficulty at the cliff later shifted to Qui, an extension of Wagnis Orange that Fürst first ascended in 1996 and Ondra repeated in 2019. While the route had achieved a consensus grade of 9a (5.14d) over time, the subsequent breakage of a crucial foothold in 2008 significantly altered the crux, prolonging what would become a 23-year gap between the first ascent and the first repeat. Reflecting on the historical significance of the line, Ondra noted that "no matter how hard the route was in [the] state" of its first ascent, Qui "could have been one [of the] hardest routes" back in 1996.
Following his successful redpoint in 2019, Ondra upgraded the route to 9a+ (5.15a). The route was repeated by Hemetzberger in June 2020, followed by Alfons Dornauer in July 2022, with both climbers confirming Ondra's grading. In October 2023, Jakob Schubert became the fifth climber to successfully redpoint the route and also opted for the 9a+ (5.15a) rating.[19] Spanish climbing magazine Wogu Cultura de Escalada described the line Qui as a "piece of sport climbing history".[19]
Ascents
- 1st. Stefan Fürst in 1996 (pre-hold break) [20]
- 2nd. Adam Ondra on 19 September 2019 (post-hold break) [20]
- 3rd. Roland Hemetzberger on 8 June 2020 [21]
- 4th. Alfons Dornauer on 13 July 2022 [20]
- 5th. Jakob Schubert on 2 October 2023 [20]
See also
- History of rock climbing
- List of grade milestones in rock climbing
- Open Air, first climb in the world with a grade of 9a+ (5.15a)
- Action Directe, first climb in the world with a consensus grade of 9a (5.14d)
- Hubble, first climb in the world with a consensus grade of 8c+ (5.14c)
Notes
- Original German: Es handelt sich um eine Südwand, die aber im Spätherbst und frühen Winter aufgrund des gegenüberliegenden Berges eher wenig Sonne bekommt. Im Sommer ist es dafür meist zu heiß. Dazu sifft es relativ lange aus vielen Griffen. Viele Routen haben daher eher selten ideale Bedingungen. Die beste Zeit geht von Mitte September bis Mitte November sowie von März bis Mitte Mai.[13]