Anna Hazelnutt Sends Iconic Spicy Trad Line in Europe
The 5.13d/14a climb features marginal gear, thin cracks, and a very crimpy crux with big air potential
Last month, American climber Anna Hazelnutt sent Prinzip Hoffnung 5.13d/14a E9/10 in Bürser Platte, Austria. Prinzip Hoffnung—or Principle of Hope in English—is a 40m-long slab line that starts out with a very thin crack. After the crack peters out around the 25-metre point, climbers are forced to move up and right through a desperate and runout crimpy crux. After the crux, another thin crack takes climbers to the top.
Today, Hazelnutt released her much anticipated film detailing her send, which you can watch below. Back in March, she travelled with Tom Randall to Austria project the route. Here’s what she had to say about her big send on Instagram:
“There’s been so much uncertainty through this projecting process, from my shoulder injury (and [Tom Randall’s] finger injury) beforehand, to unlucky weather, to personal doubts of whether or not I could do it in such a limited time frame, to genuine fears of falling at the start and/or on the loooong runout (plot twist, I took the FULL WHIP and survived haha), this climb was filled to the brim with new challenges to work through! Tom, you’re up!”
Prinzip Hoffnung was first ascended on trad gear by Beat Kammerlander in 2009. He had originally climbed the route on bolts nearly 10 years earlier. After removing the bolts and climbing the route entirely on gear, he believed the grade to be 5.13d/14a E9/10. Subsequent ascents have confirmed the grade.
The climb has seen several repeats including by Alex Luger in 2009, Jacopo Larcher and Babsi Zangerl in 2014, Nadine Wallner and Madeleine Cope in 2019, Lena Müller in 2020, and Luisa Deubzer in 2022.
Hazelnutt is no stranger to technical, spicy routes. In Fall 2021, she sent Once Upon a Time in the Southwest E9 6c, a bold, steep slab trad route at Dyers Lookout in the U.K. In early 2022, she made the first female ascent of Once Upon a Time in the Southwest’s neighbour, Walk of Life E9 6c. The 50-metre line features crimpy holds, tiny gear placements, and big run-outs. In October 2022, she sent Spank the Monkey 5.13d R in Smith Rock.
Anna Hazelnutt on Prinzip Hoffnung 5.13d/14a
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