Bernd Zangerl's climbing career has been anything but linear. In an interview, the bouldering pioneer reveals how a spiritual healer made his comeback possible for him in 2015, where his irrepressible passion for opening up new lines comes from, or what he understands by sustainable climbing tourism.
The fans whir, the bass booms from the loudspeakers and the blocks serve as crash pad depots. This climbing lifestyle, which many professionals celebrate in their videos and which is lived in abundance at the bouldering hotspots, is not only met with enthusiasm.
In the race for the first iteration of Burden of Dreams (9A), all stops are pulled out: 3D scans, faithful replicas, pulleys for relief. Is this the future for advancing the sport of climbing? Or do replicas rob climbing of its soul? We spoke to the most important protagonists.
After thousands of hours on the mountain, years of detailed work and the goal of opening up the small village of Rakchham in the Indian Himalayas for climbers and boulderers together with the locals, Bernd Zangerl from Tyrol is ready to share his insider tip with the climbing world. For the 42-year-old pioneer of the international bouldering scene, sustainability and strengthening the region are the focus of his project.
The strong German Kim Marschner managed the first ascent of Forgotten Gem (8c) in February. Now there's the video for it. The line is the famous diamond project by Bernd Zangerl and Thomas Steinbrugger in Chironico.
