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Open Air (climb)

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Open Air
Main Sector at Schleierfall (overhanging)
Open Air (climb) is located in Tyrol, Austria
Open Air (climb)
Location within Tyrol, Austria
LocationSchleierfall, Wilder Kaiser, Tyrol, Austria
Coordinates47°32′42.9″N 12°21′42.8″E / 47.545250°N 12.361889°E / 47.545250; 12.361889
Climbing areaSchleierwasserfall
Route type
Rock typeLimestone
Vertical gain55 metres (180 ft)
Pitches1
9a+ (5.15a), XI+
Bolted byAlexander Huber
Alexander Huber, 12 June 1996
Known for

Open Air is a 55-metre (180 ft) sport climbing route on a limestone cliff face at the Schleierfall climbing area in the Wilder Kaiser mountains, in Tyrol, Austria. In 1996, German climber Alexander Huber made the first free ascent and after completing his redpoint, he proposed a technical grade of 9a (5.14d), which ranked it alongside the highest grades of any climbing routes at that time.

Twelve years later, in 2008, Czech climber Adam Ondra made the first repeat of Open Air and upgraded it to a 9a+ (5.15a) route. Ondra's reclassification retroactively established Huber's 1996 ascent as the first-ever ascent at 9a+ (5.15a) in climbing history, a milestone previously credited to Chris Sharma's 2001 ascent of Realization. As at May 2026, it has yet to have a third ascent.

History

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First ascent

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In the mid-1990s, the Schleierfall climbing area became a focal point for German rock climber Alexander Huber,[a] whose university studies at LMU Munich kept him in the Munich area.[b] At the time, few routes of grade 9a (5.14d) (UIAA grade XI) existed worldwide, and none at Schleierfall area. Huber targeted the development of new lines at the upper XI grade on the steeply overhanging rock dome,[c] which he later described as featuring "surreal lines" of unprecedented dimensions.[d]

In 1994, after completing the first free ascent of Weisse Rose at 8c+ (5.14c), Huber bolted Open Air.[e] In 1995, his focus temporarily shifted to big wall climbing expeditions in Yosemite Valley and the Karakoram. Returning to the Schleierfall project in 1996, Huber spent six weeks working on the route before making the first redpoint on 12 June.[f] Huber named it Open Air to reflect the idea that, like an open-air concert, the experience is defined by its unique setting rather than the activity alone.[g] He stated that the overall experience was shaped by the natural beauty of the Schleierfall area and a positive social atmosphere shared with friends.[h]

Huber proposed a grade of 9a (5.14d), which at the time was then the limit of sport climbing grades.[i] He considered Open Air to be the hardest line of his career, saying: "It was truly a difficult birth, at the very edge of my abilities, but that was also why it was so brilliant".[j] His proposed grading followed English climber Ben Moon's guideline that Wolfgang Güllich's famous route Action Directe served as the era's "benchmark" for the grade of 8c+ (5.14c).[k]

Following his ascent of Open Air, which would be the peak of Huber's achievements in sport climbing,[l] he shifted his focus on big wall climbing where he would set numerous grade milestones,[m] transitioning into a career as a full time professional climber in 1997.[n]

First repetition and upgrade

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It took 12 years until the first repeat of Open Air when Czech climber Adam Ondra turned his attention to the Schleierfall climbing area in late 2008. In September of that year, the 15-year-old Ondra made the second ascent of Weisse Rose,[10] and then shifted his focus to Open Air. It took him five days and nine attempts to work out the sequences. During these attempts, Ondra chose to skip an easily reachable bolt before the main crux as clipping it would have created debilitating rope drag, feeling like an additional 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of weight pulling down during the hardest move. Skipping this bolt resulted in long falls around 15 metres (49 ft). He finally perfected the sequence and redpointed the route on 17 November 2008.[11]

Upon reaching the top of the route, Ondra noted that his ascent was aided by "good conditions and rock friction",[o] remarking that climbing the route in summer would be "something very different".[12] Climbing journalist Björn Pohl noted that this seasonal shift likely explained the variance with Chris Sharma's earlier assessment on the route. After a brief summer attempt on Open Air, Sharma had suspected a hold broke after the first ascent—a difference Pohl attributed to the contrast between summer heat and late-November friction.[12]

Ondra described Open Air as the most difficult route he had climbed. He proposed upgrading the rating from 9a (5.14d) to 9a+ (5.15a), comparing it to historical benchmarks in his post-climb commentary, writing: "A bit harder than Weisse rose, so 9a+ should be appropriate I hope, when Alex Huber did it, Action Directe considered as 8c+, then 9a for this one was OK. Now when AD is 9a, this should be 9a+."[12]

Route

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General overview

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Open Air starts at the base of the south-facing Schleierfall cliff, located at an elevation of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). Due to the local microclimate, extreme climbing routes are typically attempted within narrow windows in early spring and late autumn, which offers the cold and dry conditions ideal for optimal friction.[13] Guido Unterwurzacher notes that the ideal temperature range for these conditions is between. 10 to 12 °C (50 to 54 °F)[14] Open Air traces a path through the right side of the Main Sector (Hauptsektor) of the climbing area,[15] which presents as an imposing, steeply overhanging rock dome featuring a massive horizontal roof. The route runs through yellow, rough rock at its start, before traversing a distinct break line along the roof. The upper section is defined by a wall of water-smoothed, grey limestone that leads directly to the anchors.[13]

Section breakdown

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In 1996, Huber described Open Air as a 55-metre (180 ft) line divided into two distinct sections: an initial 35-metre (115 ft) stretch of sustained, powerful climbing rated around 8b (5.13d), which was followed by the definitive crux—an 8B (V13) graded boulder problem on "microscopic holds, requiring highly complex and insecure body movements".[p]

In 2008, Ondra described the route as "pretty boulder-heavy" and gave a breakdown of its sections.[16] The ascent begins with a 25-metre (82 ft) bouldery start rated up to 8a+ (5.13c), which leads to the first shake-out, and which is then followed by a 15-metre (49 ft) roof section, also rated 8a+ (5.13c),[16] which ends at a jug.[11] From there, a boulder passage rated at approximately 7B (V8) leads to a rest. The critical test of the route is at a height of 40 metres (130 ft), and described as a "brutal boulder problem" by Ondra who gave it a boulder grade of around 8A+ (V12).[16] Discussing this crux, Huber described the movement as a deadpoint or dyno into a "pocket that only accommodates two fingertips",[q] [18] while emphasising the crux's "extraordinary exposure" after traversing a 25-metre (82 ft) overhang.[r] The route finishes with vertical, technical movement leading to the anchors.[16] Ondra graded the sections at 8a+ (5.13c), 8a+ (5.13c), 7B (V8), 8A+ (V12), followed by an "easy finish" and a "nice view of Kitzbühel".[16]

Writing for the alpine journal bergundsteigen [de] in 2009, Heli Kotter characterised the route as a combination of power endurance on the lower 30 metres (98 ft) that is followed by maximum-strength bouldering movements up to 8A+ (V12) near the top.[s]

Legacy

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When Huber ascended Open Air in 1996 and proposed a grade 9a (5.14d), it was the highest grade being used in the world at that time.[t] Huber based his assessment on a logical progression from his 1994 ascent of Weisse Rose which he had graded at 8c+ (5.14c), noting that Open Air was notably more challenging.[u] His evaluation was rooted in the guidelines of Ben Moon, that any 9a (5.14d) route had to be significantly harder than Wolfgang Güllich's famous Action Directe, which was then rated 8c+ (5.14c).[21] Huber later criticised what he described as a post-1995 "softening" of the old-school grading system.[22] Huber argued that while Action Directe was eventually upgraded to become the true "benchmark" for 9a (5.14d), many modern high-end routes were graded too leniently and failed to maintain a connection to this strict historical standard.[22] In 2018, Chris Sharma supported this view regarding the route's exceptional demands, stating that Open Air was "certainly the most difficult line in the world at the time".[23]

Twelve years later, in November 2008,[10] Ondra made only the second ascent of Open Air,[11] having already redpointed eleven other routes of grade 9a (5.14d) or above.[24] Ondra's conclusion that the route was significantly harder than other consensus 9a (5.14d) graded routes led to an upgrade to 9a+ (5.15a).[25] With this retroactive change, the historical milestone for the world's first-ever 9a+ (5.15a) ascent shifted away from Sharma's 2001 redpoint of Realization to Huber's 1996 ascent of Open Air.[25] Ondra concluded that Huber had to be "super strong when he sent it in 1996", and noted his "unbelievable endurance and stubbornness in trying it at the time".[26]

In 2022, the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club highlighted Open Air as "one of the hardest rock climbs in the world".[27] Reflecting on this achievement in 2026, Brandon Pullan wrote in Canada's Gripped Magazine that while Open Air was "[o]riginally considered extremely difficult", it was "later confirmed as one of the earliest true 5.15a climbs in history", concluding that the ascent was "years ahead of its time".[28]

As of May 2026, Open Air has received no further confirmed ascents.

Ascents

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Huber's original German quote: "Schleierwasserfall ... das Paradies für mich ..."[1]
  2. ^ Huber's original German quote: "... Student in Müchen ... zweimal in der Woche an der Universität ..."[2]
  3. ^ Huber's original German quote: "So wie es heute aussieht, gelang es mir bereits 1994 mit der Weißen Rose die Tür zum oberen elften Grad aufzustoßen. ... Noch einmal zwei Jahre später gelang mir mit Open Air eine weitere Route dieser Schwierigkeit."[3]
  4. ^ Huber's original German quote: "... ein Land voller surrealistischer Linien, Überhänge, die ich in einer solchen Dimension noch nicht gesehen hatte, lauter Projekte, die nur darauf warteten, von mir geklettert zu werden."[4]
  5. ^ Origian Italian: Era stata chiodata già nel 1994, stesso anno in cui lo scalatore aveva liberato Weiße Rose sempre alla medesima falesia.[5]
  6. ^ Huber: "I worked on the first ascent of "Open Air (XI+/9a+) for over six weeks." [6]
  7. ^ Huber: "Open Air" makes you think of an open-air concert. Outdoor events have something unique about them. More than the program, it's the setting that can make an open-air event an unforgettable experience. Similarly, the experience of climbing in the "open air" is also more than just the climbing itself, but is rather composed of many factors."[6]
  8. ^ Huber: "Nature is probably the most obvious building block: On a beautiful winter day, who wouldn't rather leave the fog of the valley to stand at the Schleier Waterfall and look up, squinting in the sunlight, at the play of colors in the cascading stream? And the social environment, too, determines whether or not you feel good on the rock. False ambition and resentment often create a negative atmosphere, which is not conducive to a satisfying performance. But a day on the Schleier Waterfall with my friends - what more could I ask for?"[6]
  9. ^ Original Spain: Esta vía se encuentra en Schleierwasserfall y fue cotada como 9a, que era el máximo grado que había en la época – dejando de lado el 9b propuesto por Fred Rouhling para Akira en 1995 y hoy en día decotado a 9a.[7]
  10. ^ Huber: "It was truly a difficult birth, at the very edge of my abilities, but that was also why it was so brilliant."[6]
  11. ^ Sam Anderson: "In 1996, "Action Directe" was technically UIAA grade XI, equivalent to 5.14c/d. When the French system took over, it became 9a/5.14d.":[8]
  12. ^ Huber: "It demanded not only all my strength, but also all the creativity and kinesthetic sensibility I had developed over years of high-end sport climbing. For me, it had been a journey to my absolute limit in the psychological sense. From that perspective, the two routes at the Schleier Waterfall, "Weisse Rose" and "Open Air," represent my masterwork – the legacy I have been able to bequeath to the climbing world.[6]
  13. ^ Original German: ... weg vom Sportklettern, das ich in den letzten Jahren bis zur Perfektion aufgebaut hatte, hin zu den großen Wänden und Bergen, was für mich eine komplett neue Welt sein würde.
  14. ^ "He first studied physics, then became a full-time professional mountaineer in 1997, ..."[9]
  15. ^ Original German: Ondra ... betont, dass er die ganze Zeit gute Bedingungen und gute Reibung gehabt habe.[10]
  16. ^ Original Italian: ... ci racconta Alexander – È divisa in due parti. I primi 35 metri of frono un’arrampicata da pompare su prese abbastanza grosse e si aggira attorno all’8b. Poi arriva il punto chiave, il crux: un blocco di 8b, secondo la scala di Fontainebleau, su presine e dai movimenti aleatori.[5]
  17. ^ Original German: Der Sprung zum nächsten Loch ist ziemlich weit. ... die linke Hand schnellt mit doppelter Geschwindigkeit zum anvisierten Griff. Im toten Punkt presse ich meine Finger in das Loch, in dem nur zwei Kuppen Platz finden .... Ich bleibe am Fels hängen ... setzte den linken Fuß und ziehe durch, durch zum ersten guten Griff.[17]
  18. ^ Original quote: ... 40 meters above the ground, and a 25-meter overhang. It is the dimensions of the rock dome together with the waterfall that create this extraordinary exposure.[6]
  19. ^ Original German: Das klettertechnische Problem der Routen liegt in der harten Kombination aus Kraftausdauer und absoluter Maximalkraft – zuerst 30 Meter mindestens 8b+ ausdauernd und dann sehr schwere Boulderstellen, 8a+ bloc.[19]
  20. ^ Original Spain: Esta vía se encuentra en Schleierwasserfall y fue cotada como 9a, que era el máximo grado que había en la época – dejando de lado el 9b propuesto por Fred Rouhling para Akira en 1995 y hoy en día decotado a 9a.[20]
  21. ^ Original quote by Huber in 2009: "... Open Air ... is significantly more difficult than Weiße Rose or La Rambla. In my opinion, it was the most difficult sport-route in 1996."[21]

References

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  1. ^ Huber 2012, p. 106.
  2. ^ Huber 2012, p. 101.
  3. ^ Open Air & Huberbuam.
  4. ^ Huber 2012, pp. 106–107.
  5. ^ a b c Cicogna & Manica 2021, p. 73.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Huber 2009, p. 100.
  7. ^ 'Flex Luthor', 'Open Air', and 'Hubble': Three Stories of upgrading & Desnivel 2021.
  8. ^ Anderson 2022.
  9. ^ Huber 2009, p. 285.
  10. ^ a b c Kern 2008.
  11. ^ a b c MacDonald 2012.
  12. ^ a b c Ondra repeats Open air, 9a+! & www.8a.nu 2008.
  13. ^ a b Stadler 2024.
  14. ^ ServusTV 2012, 2:14.
  15. ^ Topo of Open Air, No. 58 at Schleierfall Main Sector, pp. 6–7.
  16. ^ a b c d e Ulmonova 2008.
  17. ^ Huber & Huber 2000, p. 49.
  18. ^ Zak 1996.
  19. ^ Kotter 2009, p. 26.
  20. ^ ‘Flex Luthor’, ‘Open Air’, and ‘Hubble’: Three Stories of upgrading & Desnivel 2021.
  21. ^ a b Pohl 2009.
  22. ^ a b Huber talks history and old-school-grading & www.8a.nu 2010.
  23. ^ Sharma 2018, p. 200.
  24. ^ Adam Ondra repite Open air & Desnivel 2008.
  25. ^ a b Jourdain 2020; Randall 2022; Kotter 2009, p. 26; Dubicka 2020; Cicogna & Manica 2021, p. 73.
  26. ^ Adam Ondra, Open Air and Hotel Supramonte & PlanetMountain.com 2008.
  27. ^ Royal Geographical Society, Alpine Club 2022.
  28. ^ Pullan 2026.
  29. ^ Open Air 9a+ & Bergsteigen.com 2008.

Bibliography

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