Babsi Zangerl Sends Test-Piece Prinzip Hoffnung 5.14

Barbara Zangerl has made the fifth ascent and first female ascent of Beat Kammerlander’s Prinzip Hoffnung (Principle of Hope,) 5.14a, on the Burser Platte, Vorarlberg, Austria.

Barbara “Babsi” Zangerl of Austria was the first woman to complete the “Alpine Trilogy” last summer. She was the first woman to boulder V13, sending Pura Vidain in Magic Wood, Switzerland.

After suffering a herniated disc, Zangerl switched disciplines and started sport climbing.

She climbed the delicate Prinzip, on sketchy gear, in early March. “Prinzip Hoffnung is nearly next to my flat. I was driving by it all the time, but I never had the balls to try it. I was too scared because I had little experience with trad routes.

“I was fascinated by this wall with this perfect line on it. It looks so cool, when you stand in front of this black wall,” Said Zangerl

“This year Jacopo Larcher checked Prinzip Hoffnung first and he was so motivated to climb it. So it was quite easy for me. We tried together. It was such a cool time, to follow the same goal and share the motivation for this route. Jacopo climbed Prinzip Hoffnung really fast, a few days before we left to Spain.

“So yesterday, on my first try I fell again. In this moment I didn’t feel very good. I fell on the crux because I was tired. The second try I climbed without pressure, when I clipped the chain, it was a surprise. For sure one of the most beautiful and exciting routes I ever tried a big thanks to Beat Kammerlander.”

Sources: UK Climbing, Zagerl’s blog