Albert Leichtfried: three new mixed climbs in Austria's Tirol

At the start of December 2013 Albert Leichtfried teamed up with habitual climbing partner Benedikt Purner to establish Black Denim, a new mixed climb at his home crag, the Ochsengarten, which had formed quite unusually thanks to last year's rainy autumn followed by the intense cold. The three pitch line checks in at WI5/M5 and offers difficulties that are "not extreme, but certainly interesting and exciting up yellow ice." A dozen or so repeats have already confirmed the beauty of this new line.

Unfortunately the cold spell didn't last long and the warm Föhn wind melted all projects, except for a drytooling line bolted years ago by Hannes Mair at Dryland above Innsbruck. The 15m horizontal roof freed by Leichtfried and Purner, now called Figure 443, translates into M13 and is probably the hardest route at this drytooling haven.

On 10 January Leichtfried accepted an invitation by Christian Picco Piccolruaz to try his project in the Stubaital. The first pitch had seen off all suitors but Leichtfried managd to free it first go at M9+, and the duo finished up the remaining three pitches to complete Bese Hexe (M9+, WI7-, 190m).

13/01/2009 - Ice climbing in Tyrol, Austria
18/12/2006 - Dryland mixed climbing above Innsbruck