David Lama finally succeeds on Sagzahn-Dihedral, Tyrol
- Friday 2nd March 2018
March 2nd; 2018
News is out that David Lama succeeded earlier this winter on the first ascent of Sagzahn-Dihedral in the Vals Valley, Tyrol, Austria.
David Lama and Peter Mühlburger on the approach. Photo Stefan Voitl
The Vals Valley, near Innsbruck, has a number of super alpine and impressive faces. David Lama describes them and the routes in some detail. “The Olperer with its north face, the Fußstein with its north ridge, the Schrammacher with its over 3000 feet high north face – the "Tyrolean Eiger" so to speak - and last but not least, the Sagwand. Several classic climbs went up the face before Andi Orgler re-discovered it and climbed some impressive lines in the 1980es. In August 2008, I climbed one of my first alpine first ascents there, Desperation of the North Face with Jorg Verhoeven. I appreciate the Sagwand a lot, and have climbed there often, many times alone. It's a wild, repulsive wall. Especially in winter, when it transforms in an even wilder, more demanding face.
David Lama leading on Sagzahn-Dihedral. Photo Jacob Schweighofer
Lama’s latest route has however, defeated him on three previous occasions. Not surprisingly, the line had assumed something of a personal significance: “I had looked at it for such a long time, I needed several attempts, and I had underestimated the climb again and again. Now the first ascent is finally complete.”
However, in January of this year, the conditions looked perfect and Lama started another attempt (his fourth) together with Peter Mühlburger from East Tyrol. After six pitches with challenging sections on mixed terrain of ice and rock demanding free and aid climbing, the duo successfully completed the steepest part of the wall.
Lama, summed-up his ascent of Sagzahn-Dihedral: “It is one of the most difficult routes I’ve climbed at Vals Valley so far.” Lama and Mühlburger graded the route M6/A2.
Click through here to read the full story of the ascent.