Alex Huber free-solos Dent du Geant
Alex Huber has made the first free solo ascent of the classic South Face (TD-/TD, 5.7 A1 or 5.11a, 160m, seven pitches, Burgasser-Leist, 1935) of the Dent du Geant (4013m), Mont Blanc Massif, France. Belayed by Marius Wiest, Huber climbed the route on-sight in July and then came back at the end of the month to work it for two more days with Tyrolean climber, Guido Unterwurzacher, before dispensing with the harness (though keeping a helmet) for his final rapid ascent. With only 200 meters of climbing and maximum difficulties of 5.11a/b, this may not seem such a major achievement for the German, who has previously soloed short sport climbs up to 5.14a and the airy 550-meter Brandler-Hasse (5.12a) on the north face of the Cima Grande in Italy’s Dolomites. However, the merit of this feat lies not so much with overcoming technical difficulties but more the added problems of altitude, rock quality and the exposed nature of the climbing…
Source: Alpinist Magazine.
