Experienced Climber Dies in Free-Solo Fall
Martin Feistl reportedly fell 40 metres while climbing a rock route in Austria
Austrian climber Martin Feistl has was climbing the Spitzenstätter-Baldauf, a 270-metre rock climb in Austria, when he fell 40 metres. He died of his injuries. He was 27. In a story about the accident, Alpin.de quoted officials as saying, “He hit a ledge at the base of the wall, and the force of the impact threw Feistl into a field of old snow, where he slid a further 50 metres until reaching rocky ground.”
As a young climber, Feistl was on the German mountaineering club youth expedition to the Himalaya, which resulted in a successful ascent of Shivling (6,543 m). He went on to make several impressive first ascents and repeats. With David Bruder, he made the first ascent of Stalingrad in Austria, a climb that was given a nod by the Piolet d’Or committee in 2020.
According to Planet Mountain, in January of this year, Feistl “added a highly committing mixed climb to the Pinnistal with Martin Sieberer called Männer mit Moral, while in early February he teamed up with Simon Gietl to make the first ascent of the huge Aura (M6 AI5, 1200m) on the northeast face of Langkofel / Sassolungo in the Dolomites. His standout climb came about a few days earlier though, on 24 January, when he ventured into the Pinnistal once again. This time he was completely on his own and on Hammerspitze he went on to establish a 400m mixed climb solo and without a rope to self-belay. The difficulties, M4 WI5 do little to indicate the magnitude of this ascent. Feistl, conscious of having pushed things to the extreme, prophetically called his climb Daily Dose of Luck.”
Feistl was a leading climber of his generation, one who pursued bold traditional routes and self-supported ascents. Our condolences to his family and friends.
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