Crack Baby at Kandersteg: Stephan Siegrist climbing in the footsteps of Xaver Bongard, Michael Gruber
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Thomas Ulrich
On 15 February 1993 at the Breitwangflue above Kandersteg in Switzerland Xaver Bongard and Michael Gruber made the first ascent of Crack Baby, a route destined to become on of the most iconic ice climbs in Europe. Unfortunately, just one year after his first ascent Bongard died in a BASE jumping accident in Lauterbrunnen. At the time among the many who had admired his climbs was the budding alpinist Stephan Siegrist.
In this film Siegrist, now a highly acclaimed mountain guide, returns with Gruber to the Breitwangflue to pay homage to Bongard and their 11-pitch outing. It's interesting to note that this was Gruber's first time back on the line since establishing it 30 years earlier. To make things even more fun, for their ascent the pair dusted off some of the original gear.
Info: stephan-siegrist.com, Mammut
