HISTORIC TRAILS
EASTERN ALPS
ROUTES OF THE FIRST ASCENSIONISTS
In the footsteps of the pioneers of alpinism on historic routes in the Eastern Alps
1778
Lovrenc Willomitzer, Luka Korosec, Stefan Rozic, Matija Kos
TRIGLAV
Bambergerweg - Pragerweg - Traverse (B/C, II-)
A first attempt to reach the 2,864-metre summit of Triglav was made as early as 1777. However, Belsazar Hacquet, a famous naturalist, physicist and world traveller, failed. A year later, Hacquet again organised a party that was to reach the summit this time. The group, made up of Lovrenc Willomitzer, Luka Korosec, Stefan Rozic and Matija Kos, finally made the first ascent of Slovenia's highest mountain – without Hacquet – on 26 August 1778.
1800
Matthias Hautzendorfer, Sepp Klotz, Martin Reicher, Martin Klotz
GROSSGLOCKNER
Bischof Salm Weg (AD-, II)
As early as 1799, the Carinthian archbishop Count Franz Xaver von Salm-Reifferscheid made a first serious attempt, at enormous expense, to climb the Großglockner in the interest of science. Among other things, the Salmhütte was specially built at 2,644 metres as a base. However, the attempt failed because of heavy snowfall. Nevertheless, misleading reports tried to present the expedition as a success, even though preparations for another expedition the following year began that same year. With a team of 62 in total, including countless clergymen and scientists, four farmers and carpenters finally reached the summit on 28 July 1800.
1804
Josef Pichler, Johann Leitner, Johann Klausner
ORTLER
Normal route (PD+, III, 40°)
In 1804, Archduke Johann of Austria travelled through Tyrol. When he caught sight of the Ortler from the Reschen Pass, he commissioned the official Johannes Gebhard to organise the first ascent of the "highest peak in the Land of Tyrol". Gebhard travelled 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 in the area of today's normal route failed. On 26 September, Josef Pichler presented himself – a chamois hunter from Schluderns. Starting from Trafoi, he led the two climbers Klausner and Leitner over the "Hintere Wandlen" through difficult, loose terrain to the summit. Their route, however, never became a classic and is no longer climbed at all today. The summit itself, though, remains as notorious as ever.
1820
Josef Naus, Johann Tauschl, survey assistant Maier
ZUGSPITZE
Through the Reintal
On behalf of King Maximilian I, the Zugspitze was to be surveyed by the "Royal Bavarian Topographical Bureau" for the "Atlas of Bavaria". The aim was to make sure that the Zugspitze really was the highest point in the country. The task was given to Josef Naus, a Tyrolean just 27 years old. After several weeks of arduous reconnaissance, the day came on 26 August. Together with the mountain guide Johann Tauschl and his surveying assistant and porter Maier, they set off for the summit. They reached it on 27 August via the Zugspitzplatt and the Schneeferner. Shortly afterwards they were caught in a violent thunderstorm and only just managed to escape. Their surveying mission, however, failed because of the bad weather.
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 a first attempt was made on the Großvenediger. Led by Paul Rohregger, a party of 17 set off. Just below the summit, after a difficult ascent via the north ridge, they were caught by an avalanche. 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 over the Stierlahnerwand and the Steinkar to the Venedigerscharte. 26 members of this expedition reached the summit on 3 September 1841 – among them Paul Rohregger, who had been seriously injured by the avalanche during the first attempt 13 years earlier.
1850
Johann Wilhelm Coaz, Jon Ragut, Lorenz Ragut
PIZ BERNINA
Spalla ridge (AD- III)
In 1850 the surveyor Johann Wilhelm Coaz was commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office of Topography to survey the then still unnamed summit of Piz Bernina. Together with the two mountain guides and survey assistants Jon and Lorenz Ragut, he set off on the ascent from the Gasthof Bernina Häuser. Equipped with hobnailed boots, a hemp rope, headscarves to protect them from the sun and long poles for probing crevasses, on 13 September they overcame, with the greatest difficulty, the icefall of the Morteratsch Glacier known as the Labyrinth. Via the east ridge they finally reached the summit at 6 p.m. The descent was gruelling and, helped by the full moon, followed the same route. At 2 a.m., 20 hours after setting out, they arrived back at the Bernina inn.
1854
Stephan Steinberger
KÖNIGSSPITZE
Normal route (AD, 45°)
The first ascent by Stephan Steinberger in 1854, who is said to have reached the summit from the Stilfser Joch via the south flank of the Königsspitze, remains disputed to this day. His route involved 2,750 metres of ascent and a distance of 24 kilometres, which he allegedly covered in 18 hours. Louis Philipp Friedmann, an Austrian alpinist, tried to retrace the route in 1892 and, despite good conditions, needed far longer. He considered Steinberger's account implausible. More recent findings, however, also support Steinberger. For one thing, conditions in 1854 were probably much better; for another, he described the view from the summit very accurately.
1862
Leslie Stephen, Melchior Anderegg, Edward Shirley Kennedy, Thomas Cox
MONTE DISGRAZIA
North-west ridge (AD, III, 40°)
Little is known about the first ascent of Monte Disgrazia. What is certain is that it was achieved by Leslie Stephen, Edward Shirley Kennedy and Thomas Cox, together with the mountain guide Melchior Anderegg. The route they chose back then, on 23 August 1862 – from Preda Rossa through the Val di Preda Rossa onto the glacier of the same name and over the north-west ridge to the summit – is still the easiest ascent of Monte Disgrazia today and has accordingly become established as the normal route.
1865
Adolphus Warburton Moore, Horace Walker, Jakob Anderegg
PIZ ROSEG
Eselsgrat (AD-, III)
The first ascent of Piz Roseg was made on 28 June 1865 by the Englishmen Adolphus Warburton Moore and Horace Walker together with their mountain guide Jakob Anderegg. Even today, climbing Piz Roseg via the normal route means following in the footsteps of this first ascent: through the Val Roseg and up the north ridge, also known as the Eselsgrat, Middlemore Ridge or, in Romansh, la cresta, to the summit. Piz Roseg also gained sad notoriety when one of the best and best-known extreme steep skiers, South Tyrolean Heini Holzer, fell to his death on its north face on 4 July 1977 - watched through binoculars by the then hut keeper of the Tschierva Hut.
1867
William Coolidge, François and Henri Devouassoud
PIZ BADILE
North ridge (D, V)
The first ascent of Piz Badile dates back to 1867. The British knew the peak above all from the writings of Douglas Freshfield in the 1860s, but unlike many other Alpine summits 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, then only 17 years old, 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-)
A first attempt at the first ascent was made as early as 1854 by survey lieutenant Hermann von Acken and several survey assistants from Defereggen via the north-west ridge. However, they only reached a rocky knoll on the summit ridge east of the summit notch, just below the summit. The true highest point was reached on 3 August 1868 by Karl Hofmann and Valentin Kaltdorff with their mountain guides from Rein, Georg Wels and Hansl Oberarzbacher, via the west flank and the north-west ridge. Their route is still the normal route to the summit of the Hochgall today.
