Climbing is a relaxing sport – and in winter it’s really exciting. When the big icicles are formed on the Krippenstein walls, that’s when ice-climbing offers something special for tough climbers, who get a special kick out of having hands which are like blocks of ice and a slippery ground underfoot!

Climbing pros talk of at least 50 different routes in the Krippenstein ice. Unfortunately there is no map available, but we’re working on it! Your imagination and dare-devil side knows no limits.

In 2009 Heli Putz from Outdoor Leadership was successful in mastering the spectacular first ascent together with Beat Kammerlander. Here’s what he had to say about it:

"Amongst other matters Beat Kammerlander and I succeeded in doing the first ascent of the Schönberg. 4 rope-lengths, the most difficult ice route in the German-speaking Alpine area at the moment. That’s why we made a documentary film. Everything was filmed on Universum format lasting 28 mins., and beforehand I developed a camera crane platform which we set up at 180m altitude.

There had never been anything like this in the world before. One of the three camera men even produced the cinema film "On the limit" with the Huber brothers in California, and also the new Eiger film, which is already showing in cinemas, but a platform (made by Deubler Bad Goisern) was something that had only been dreamt about until that time. That was also the first time that a crane had been built into such a wall!" 

More images and information on the first ascent can be found at  www.outdoor-leadership.com!