Simon Gietl makes winter solo of Hruschka on Peitlerkofel, Dolomites
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Simon Gietl
Two weeks after the first traverse of the stunning Rosengarten skyline in the Italian Dolomites, the South Tyrolean mountain guide Simon Gietl has now completed a winter solo of Via Hruschka on Peitlerkofel / Sass de Putia in the Dolomites.
First ascended 24 August 1919 by W. Erschbaumer, J. Hruschka, F. Neuner and L. Radschiller, the grade IV climb was the first route through the imposing north face and it follows the North Arete before reaching an obvious basin and continuing up the ridge to the 2875m summit.
Gietl knew this classic Dolomites outing well since he had climbed it on three previous occasions, but never in winter and never alone. He set off on Saturday morning from the Würzjoch pass at 07:00 and started the ascent at 08:10, carrying his rucksack with all the gear necessary for his solo and also a light paraglider. At 10:35 he reached the summit and met two friends, Manuel Hofmann and Werner Burger, who had ascended the mountain up the via ferrata. Conditions for a summit take-off were ideal and all three flew back down to valley; eight minutes later, at 11:45 am, Gietl landed at his starting point at Passo delle Erbe.
Saturday's success came after two attempts carried out in previous weeks; in both cases the 37-year-old turned back at the base of the climb since conditions were not good enough. Gietl had climbed the mountain in winter in the past, notably in January 2019 when he teamed up with Mark Oberlechner to make the first ascent of Kalipe.
Simon Gietl thanks: Salewa, Neolit, Grivel, Komperdell, Keaxl-Board, Hotel Schwarzenstein, Lyo-Foot, Südtirol, Lowa, Gloryfy
Links: FB Simon Gietl, www.simongietl.it
