Alexander Huber ascents free solo in Grand Capucin Pioneering alpinist and Suunto Ambassador Alexander Huber has had a successful summer, the highlight being a free solo ascent of the Grand Capucin in the Mont Blanc range in August.
Huber, 40, reached the summit of the 3838m high granite tower on August 5th after a number of weeks reconnaissance in the area. Using the classic Swiss Route, which does not exceed F6b, Huber took just 59 minutes to scale the 400m high face which begins at the Glacier Géant.
Free soloing means to ascend without ropes, harnesses or safety gear, however Huber brought along his Suunto Core to give him valuable altitude information.
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 He spent just five minutes on the peak of Grand Capucin before descending down the same route, a remarkable feat in itself.
In addition to Grand Capucin, the Bavarian opened two new routes in the Austrian Alps. On June 25, Huber red-pointed the Sansara on the Grubhorn's East Face, near the village of Lofer. Consisting of six pitches and a graded 5.14a, he described the climb as, "Beautiful and spectacular."
Just over one month later on July 31 and with partner Austrian Guido Unterwurzacher, Huber red-pointed the Feuertaufe on the South Face of the Sonnwand.
"The main obstacle one has to face when attempting 'Feuertaufe', is not the final red-point-ascent, but the first encounter with the route when you climb into the unknown terrain," says Huber. "A real adventure."
Images are copyright Heinz Zak.
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