《《18_huber_8000mtrs_aaj1999》.pdf

8000 Meters and More Working out the moves on the routes of the new millennium by Alexander Huber, Germany s we climb into the next millennium, we might ask ourselves, where is our sport going? A The end of the 20th century gives us a welcome opportunity to discuss the question, but I doubt that the answer will be found easily. It’s hard to predict where climbing is going because it depends on each individual and the evolution of his or her personal style. For example, if I look at how my own mountaineering has evolved, I bet nobody could have predicted its direction. In the early 199Os, sport climbing was my special interest, and I put 100% of my energy into it. The result was the first ascent of several routes that marked the upper end of the scale. After my first 9a (5.14d) in 1992, I managed to establish four more routes at the 8c+/9a grade over the next two years, but none of these routes was harder than the first. To be “state of the art” in sport climbing for years is very hard work for your mind as well as your body. After years of consistent training, it’s difficult to maintain motivation for goals that are more or less repetitions of things you’ve already achieved. Such feelings are poisonous for a climber’s motivation. Thus, after ten years climbing and mountaineering in the Alps, I found myself searching for a new way-a search that, in 1995, led me out of Europe for the first time. As a climbing mecca, Yosemite was at the top of my hi