Extreme climbing

30-meter tower made of ice: “Many give up quickly”

Ice climbing in Breitenau provides spectacular pictures.(Bild: Erwin Schischway)

Ice climbing is the pinnacle of climbing. After a break of several years, the 30-metre-high "tower" in Breitenau, Styria, is back this year - thanks to frosty temperatures. A sport that requires a lot of strength and stamina - and can be life-threatening.

When it gets really frosty, there is no stopping Manfred Posch from Breitenau and Anton Rumpl from Semriach. The mountaineers have to climb up the icy waterfall. The bizarre ice formation called "Alice" in the Tiefenbachgraben in Breitenau am Hochlantsch literally screams for a summit victory. "It's a fine art of alpine climbing because it requires experience and a lot of stamina," explains 68-year-old Rumpl from many years of experience.

"The strength is what runs out the quickest. I've seen several climbers on this ice wall who had to give up after a few meters." But even the most experienced climber should familiarize themselves with the unfamiliar material before their first ice tour, "because the difference between rock and ice is huge and unsafe".

Impressive: the ice tower called "Alice"(Bild: Posch/Rumpl)

Danger to life from falling lumps of ice
The ice axe is only a few centimetres into the frozen water. The crampons dig into the vertical ice wall, which is shaped with massive ice nubs as an ascent aid. "For us, this is called ice climbing cauliflower, which can be life-threatening when you're trying to climb down. If you get hit on the head by the falling lumps of ice, you won't get up again," Manfred Posch warns the onlookers, who gaze in amazement at the 30-metre-high ice tower.

"The conditions change every day," says the man from Breitenau, reading the condition from the shades of color on the ice. How long the fascination of ice climbing lasts depends on the frost. "30 years ago, we could climb from December to February. With climate change, we now have winters where, as in recent years, we no longer have any ice to climb on," regrets Posch. How good that January is now showing its frosty side.

Anton Rumpl and Manfred Posch are real pros(Bild: Posch/Rumpl)

Taster day for beginners
Because today, Sunday, Naturfreunde Breitenau is hosting an ice climbing day. Under safe conditions, beginners have the chance to try this sport. The equipment is provided.