HISTORICAL TRAILS
Eastern Alps
PATHS OF THE FIRST CLIMBERS
1778
Lovrenc Willomitzer, Luka Korosec, Stefan Rozic, Matija Kos
TRIGLAV
Bambergerweg - Pragerweg - Crossing (B/C, II-)
In 1777, the first attempt to reach the 2,864-meter-high summit of Triglav was made. Belsazar Hacquet, a famous naturalist, physicist, and world traveler, failed. A year later, Hacquet organized another group to reach the summit. The group, consisting of Lovrenc Willomitzer, Luka Korosec, Stefan Rozic, and Matija Kos, finally reached Slovenia's highest mountain for the first time without Hacquet on August 26, 1778.
1800
Matthias Hautzendorfer, Sepp Klotz, Martin Reicher, Martin Klotz
GROSSGLOCKNER
Bishop Salm Way (AD-, II)
As early as 1799, the Carinthian Archbishop Franz Xaver Graf von Salm-Reifferscheid undertook the first serious attempt, at enormous expense, to climb the Großglockner in the interest of science. Among other things, the Salmhütte was built as a base camp at 2,644 meters. However, this attempt failed due to heavy snowfall. Nevertheless, misleading reports attempted to portray this expedition as a success, even though preparations for a second expedition the following year had begun that same year. With a team of 62 participants, including countless clergy and scientists, four farmers and carpenters finally reached the summit on July 28, 1800.
1804
Josef Pichler, Johann Leitner, Johann Klausner
ORTLER
Normal route (PD, III)
In 1804, Archduke Johann of Austria traveled through Tyrol. When he saw the Ortler from the Reschen Pass, he commissioned the official Johannes Gebhard to organize the first ascent of the "highest peak in Tyrol." Gebhard traveled to Sulden and promised the farmers money for finding a route to the summit. Several men tried their luck, but a total of six attempts along the current standard route failed. On September 26, Josef Pichler, a chamois hunter from Schluderns, presented himself. From Trafoi, he led the two mountaineers Klausner and Leitner over the "Hintere Wandlen" (Hinter Wandlen) over difficult and shaky terrain to the summit. Their route, however, never became a classic and is no longer climbed at all today. The summit itself, however, remains as infamous as ever.
1820
Josef Naus, Johann Tauschl, Church helper Maier
ZUGSPITZE
Through the Reintal
Commissioned by King Maximilian I, the Zugspitze was to be surveyed by the "Royal Bavarian Topographical Bureau" for the "Atlas of Bavaria." They wanted to confirm that the Zugspitze was indeed the highest peak in the country. Josef Naus, a 27-year-old Tyrolean, was commissioned to do the job. After several weeks of arduous exploration, the time finally came on August 26. Together with mountain guide Johann Tauschl and his surveyor and porter Maier, they set off for the summit. They reached it on August 27 via the Zugspitzplatt and the Schneeferner. Shortly thereafter, they encountered a violent thunderstorm and were able to escape with difficulty. However, their surveying mission failed due to poor weather conditions.
1841
Ignaz von Kürsinger, Anton von Ruthner, Paul Rohregger
GROSSVENEDIGER
Normal route - Kürsingerhütte (PD)
It took almost three decades after the first ascent of the Großglockner before the first attempt was made on the Großvenediger. Led by Paul Rohregger, a group of 17 set out. They were caught in an avalanche just below the summit after a difficult climb up the north ridge. The attempt failed. 13 years later, there was a new attempt: led by Ignaz von Kürsinger, 40 men set out. This time, they chose a slightly different route, climbing from the Obersulzbachtal valley over the Stierlahnerwand and the Steinkar cirque to the Venedigerscharte. 26 members of this expedition reached the summit on September 3, 1841—among them Paul Rohregger, who had been seriously injured in an avalanche during the first attempt 13 years earlier.
1850
Johann Wilhelm Coaz, Jon Ragut, Lorenz Ragut
PIZ BERNINA
Spallagrat (AD-III)
In 1850, surveyor Johann Wilhelm Coaz was commissioned by the Swiss Office of Topography to survey the then-unnamed peak of Piz Bernina. Together with two mountain guides and surveyor's assistants, Jon and Lorenz Ragut, they began their ascent from the Bernina Häuser Inn. Equipped with hobnailed shoes, a hemp rope, headscarves for protection from the sun, and long poles for probing crevasses, they overcame the labyrinth of the Morteratsch Glacier on September 13th with great difficulty. They finally reached the summit via the east ridge at 6 p.m. The descent was arduous and, with the help of the full moon, took place along the same route. At 2 a.m., 20 hours after their departure, they reached the Bernina Inn.
1854
Stephan Steinberger
KÖNIGSSPITZE
Normal route (AD-)
The first ascent by Stephan Steinberger in 1854, who is said to have reached the summit from the Stilfser Joch via the southern flank of the Königsspitze, remains disputed to this day. His route included a 2,750-meter ascent and a distance of 24 kilometers, which he allegedly completed in 18 hours. Louis Philipp Friedmann, an Austrian alpinist, attempted to retrace the route in 1892 and, despite good conditions, took much longer. He found Steinberger's account implausible. However, more recent findings also support Steinberger's claim. First, conditions were likely much better in 1854, and second, he described the view from the summit very accurately.
1862
Leslie Stephen, Melchior Anderegg, Edward Shirley Kennedy, Thomas Cox
MONTE DISGRAZIA
Northwest Ridge (PD+, III)
Not much is known about the first ascent of Monte Disgrazia. Leslie Stephen, Edward Shirley Kennedy, and Thomas Cox, along with mountain guide Melchior Anderegg, certainly accomplished it. The ascent route they chose on August 23, 1962—from Preda Rossa through the Val di Preda Rossa to the glacier of the same name and over the northwest ridge to the summit—is still the easiest ascent of Monte Disgrazia today and has accordingly become established as the standard route.
1865
Adolphus Warburton Moore, Horace Walker, Jakob Anderegg
PIZ ROSEG
Eselsgrat (AD-, III)
The first ascent of Piz Roseg was achieved on June 28, 1865, by the Englishmen Adolphus Warburton Moore and Horace Walker, together with their mountain guide Jakob Anderegg. Even today, when climbing Piz Roseg via the normal route, one follows in the footsteps of this first ascent. Through the Val Roseg and over the north ridge, also known as the Eselsgrat, Middlemoregrat, or in Romansh, la cresta, to the summit. Piz Roseg also gained notoriety because one of the best and most famous steep-face skiers, Heini Holzer from South Tyrol, suffered a fatal fall on its north face on July 4, 1977 – witnessed through the binoculars of the then-innkeeper of the Tschiervahütte.
1867
William Coolidge, François und Henri Devouassoud
PIZ BADILE
North Edge (D, V)
The first ascent of Piz Badile dates back to 1867. The British were familiar with the peak, particularly through the writings of Douglas Freshfield from the 1860s. However, unlike many other Alpine peaks, it was not first climbed by a Briton, but by the American William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge, together with the two French mountain guides François Devouassoud and Henri Devouassoud. The historian and theologian, only 17 at the time, reached the summit with the experienced guides via the south flank, i.e., from the Italian side.
1868
Karl Hofmann, Valentin Kaltdorff, Georg Wels, Hansl Oberarzbacher
HOCHGALL
Northwest Ridge (AD-)
The first attempt at the first ascent was made in 1854 by Lieutenant Surveyor Hermann von Acken and several surveyors from Defregger via the northwest ridge. However, they only reached a rocky outcrop on the summit ridge east of the summit notch, just below the summit. The highest point was actually reached on August 3, 1868, by Karl Hofmann and Valentin Kaltdorff, with their Reiner mountain guides Georg Wels and Hansl Oberarzbacher, via the west flank and northwest ridge. Their route remains the standard route to the summit of Hochgall today.
