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Robbie Phillips Completes Alpine Trilogy in Alps

The trilogy includes three test-piece 5.14 bolted multipitch routes

Top Scottish climber Robbie Phillips has climbed all three routes in the alpine trilogy of the Alps. While the three multi-pitch alpine bolted routes are within many climbers’ abilities at 5.14a, to complete all three still remains a test-piece. The trilogy has been completed less than 10 times on record, including being climbed by Barbara Zangerl.

The routes include End of Silence by Thomas Huber, Silbergeier by Beat Kammerlander and Des Kaisers neue Kleider by Stefan Glowacz. All three routes were climbed in 1994 and at the time, they were the hardest bolted routes in the Alps.

In 2001, Stefan Glowacz was the first to complete the trilogy. Phillips sent Silbergeier in 2015 and End of Silence in 2015. He completed the trilogy earlier this month on Aug. 8. His partner was Mich Kemeter. Phillips said after, “Mich, cool as a cucumber, kept his head and climbed superbly to the top. I was swiftly losing my head as thoughts of finally putting this dream to bed bombarded my mind. But Mich told me to ‘Keep Smiling’ so I did, and it worked!”

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?WE DID IT!!!? It’s only just settling into my mind now, but after 15 years of dreaming about this moment, I have finally finished “The Alpine Trilogy” ⛰⛰⛰ ⠀ The final piece of the puzzle was Stefan Glowacz’s “Des Kaiser Neue Kleider” (8b+ Multipitch) in the Wilder Kaiser ?? I gave myself July and August to work it and hopefully climb it, but conditions in the Alps proved testing as we were constantly thwarted by intense heat ☀️ and incessant rain ☔️ ⠀ After a late start yesterday on what was only supposed to be a relaxed ground up working session, the wind picked up from a localised rain storm that just missed the Wilder Kaiser. The wind cooled everything down ? and by 3pm I found myself clipping the chains on the first 8b+ pitch halfway up the wall! ⠀ I realised then that we’d been given an opportunity to finish this, and not wanting to waste it, @michthek and I shifted focus from “Work Session” to “Send Session”!!! ⠀ Mich, cool as a cucumber ? kept his head and climbed superbly to the top. I was swiftly losing my head as thoughts of finally putting this dream to bed bombarded my mind ?? But Mich told me to “Keep Smiling” ☺️ so I did, and it worked! ⠀ I topped out the final 8b+ pitch with the sun setting between the mountains ?, the rays cast an orange glow on everything they touched, filling this perfect moment with a brilliant vibrance and flare. I took a moment on top to gaze out at the scene; as surreal and ethereal as the feelings in my heart, the realisation dawning that I’d done what I’d set out to do, I’d completed the Alpine Trilogy, a goal 15 years in the making and a process that has made me the climber and the person I am today. ⠀ Now I can finally relax… and eat a donut ? ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #climb #climber #climbing #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #sport #sports #rockclimbing #escalar #escalade #klettern #klattring #adventure #adventurer #travel #training #traveller #expedition #adventurer #wilderkaiser #austria #multipitch #alpinetrilogy

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The paradox of success is that it is built upon failure. On Sunday we had a weather window ☔️ but at around 6pm on Saturday night, the heavens opened and unleashed an unholy amount of water on the Wilder Kaiser ? When I awoke on Sunday morning, the whole wall was engulfed in cloud and I couldn’t tell how wet it was. After several hours, the cloud burnt off and I saw unbelievably that the wall looked dry! Starting later than I’d hoped, we marched up the path and commenced with the climb ⛰ Pitch 2 (7c+) felt awful! It was super warm ? and the rain had washed away all my tick marks ✔️ I was climbing blind ? Pitch 3 (8a+/b) felt good until the final slab when I forgot where to go and only barely held on enough to clip the chains ? Pitch 4 (7b) I royally f****d up and spent 20mins trying to mantle to the chain when I couldn’t find the holds I’d used previously ? Pitch 5 (8b+) I arrived at pretty exhausted! ? I climbed through the heat to the crux which was completely soaking wet ? from seepage! I almost got through, eyeing up the jug, but my left hand slipped on the wet thumb sprag sending me hurtling off ? I had another go but the same thing happened again… I wouldn’t be getting through this pitch today ? I won’t lie. I was severely disappointed. Not really because of the wetness, but more with myself. I made a flurry of easily avoidable mistakes in the earlier pitches, climbed badly and somehow still managed to get up there. All these mistakes made me knackered for when I really needed the energy on the 8b+ pitch, but who knows if I could have made it through the wet holds? ? I beat myself up a bit and then after talking it through, began to realise that I can learn from this. ⠀ ?I know what it feels like in bad conditions. ?I won’t make those same mistakes again. ?I know one day after rain is not enough for the crux to dry ?I know I can do this, because even in those terrible conditions and all those mistakes, I still gave a bloody good effort! This failure is one more step towards success! ? ⠀ Also, I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive partner in @michthek ?? We’ll be back soon when the wall dries up! ⠀ ?: @marc_langley ⠀ #climb #climber

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