The 400m path of the Zauberberg (formerly 7-, A2), on the north face Ciastel de Chedul. The route now goes free at 8a. [Photo] Florian Riegler
On June 2, 2011 brothers Martin and Florian Riegler made the first free ascent of Zauberberg on the north face of Ciastel de Chedul in Valle Lunga in the Dolomites. The South Tyrolean duo freed the 400m line; the crux pitch goes through a ten meter roof graded at 8a.
The Zauberberg is named after the Thomas Mann’s masterpiece novel Magic Mountain. The route was first established in 2009 by Stefan Comploi and Ivo Rabanser. These two Val Gardena mountain guides climbed the line at 7-, A2. Ivo Rabanser asked Florian Riegler to try the route free, and he took up the challenge
The Riegler brothers concentrated their efforts on the third pitch, with its ten meter roof crux. Florian says he was not sure that the roof would be possible to free. Every time the brothers visited the route the roof holds were wet and Florian was able to redpoint the pitch after Martin dried the holds with fire from a blowtorch. They swapped leads for the fifteen pitches and five hours it took to ascend the face.
The ten meter roof on Zauberberg, which the Riegler brothers freed at 8a. [Photo] Florian Riegler