Beat Kammerlander has re-climbed Prinzip Hoffnung (Principle Hope) at the Burs Plate in Austria a decade after he made the first ascent. This time he climbed it without the bolts.

Weighing in at F8b/+ and featuring 15 metre falls on to microwires, Beat considers this to be one of the great highlights of his climbing career.

Beat Kammerlander may not be well known to the UK climbing public, however his climbing CV is amongst the most impressive in Europe. His name is synonymous with the fearsome Ratikon mountains located on the border between Switzerland and Austria. These huge limestone walls are home to incredibly difficult alpine rock routes, many of which were pioneered by Kammerlander.

His approach is always ground-up, placing bolts on lead from sky hooks and free climbing in between. Amongst his most famous alpine routes are Silbergeier (F8b+, climbed ground up with fall potential of 20 metres) and the infamous WoGu (F8c, also climbed ground up with huge fall potential). WoGu saw its first and only repeat to date at the hands of Adam Ondra last year and ranks as one of the hardest long routes in Europe.

Commenting on his recent bolt-free ascent of Prinzip Hoffnung, Kammerlander said:

"During my successful climb when I reached the crux I had the feeling as if I was constantly falling, I was so surprised that I still stuck to the rock, like a drop dangling under a ceiling. I felt that I was falling but I kept going for it. The primal will that I felt in this situation, coming from deep down in my stomach, is what I remember and what carried me through. When I climb such a route I don't feel like I am 50 years old."

More details at Planet-talk.de