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Fritz Wiessner | |
|---|---|
 Wiessner, age 86, on theRupley Towers,Mount Lemmon, Arizona | |
| Born | (1900-02-26)February 26, 1900 Dresden, Germany |
| Died | July 3, 1988(1988-07-03) (aged 88) |
| Citizenship | U.S. (after 1935) |
| Known for | Pioneer offree climbing |
| Spouse | Muriel Schoonmaker |
| Children | 2 |
Fritz Wiessner (February 26, 1900 – July 3, 1988) was a German American pioneer offree climbing. Born inDresden,Germany, he immigrated toNew York City in 1929 and became a U.S. citizen in 1935. In 1939, he made one of the earliest attempts to conquerK2, one of the most difficult mountains in the world to climb.
Wiessner started climbing with his father in theAustrianAlps beforeWorld War I. At the age of 12, he climbed theZugspitze, the highest peak in Germany. In the 1920s, he established hard climbing routes inSaxony and theDolomites that have a present-day difficulty rating of up to5.11. That was at a time when the hardest free climbing grade in theUnited States was5.7. At the age of 25, he made a first ascent of theFleischbank inTyrol, which was proclaimed the hardest rock climb done at that time.
Wiessner was 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) tall, slope-shouldered and stocky. He had a wide and friendly grin and his speciality waswide crack, or off-width, climbing, a technique that demands both technical mastery and uncommon strength.
In 1931, Wiessner made contact with members of theAmerican Alpine Club and immediately set a new standard in Americanrock climbing. AcrossNorth America, he established a substantial list offirst ascents at such climbing areas asRagged Mountain (Connecticut);Cannon Mountain (New Hampshire);Wallface Mountain,New YorkAdirondack Mountains;Mount Rushmore National Memorial,South Dakota;Devils Tower,Wyoming (the first free ascent); andMount Waddington,British Columbia.
In 1935, while climbing atBreakneck Ridge on theHudson River, Wiessner spotted the gleaming whitequartzite cliffs of theShawangunks in the distance. The following weekend he set off in search of the tantalizing cliffs and immediately set about climbing the highest point in the area, a cliff now known asMillbrook mountain. Along with John and Peggy Navas, he established a route now named Old Route5.5, the first recorded technical rock climb in the Shawangunks, and in doing so helped to establish the area as a mecca for rock climbers.
Wiessner, often in partnership with fellow immigrantHans Kraus, established numerous first ascents in the Gunks, including many climbs that are popular (and intimidating) to this day. Perhaps their best known combined effort is the very popularHigh Exposure buttress5.6, which they first climbed in 1941 with a hemp rope and three soft ironpitons. Other notable Wiessner first ascents in the Gunks include:Gargoyle5.5,High Traverse5.5,White Pillar5.7,Baby5.6,Frogs Head5.6;Gelsa5.4,High Corner5.7 andYellow Ridge5.7. In 1946, he ledMinnie Belle, the first5.8 in the Gunks.
In 1935, Wiessner established a climb in Connecticut calledVector.5.8.
When rock climbing, Wiessner often paired himself with novices, and with women in particular. He always insisted on being thelead climber (in an era when a leader fall could easily prove disastrous for the entire party and the maxim of the day was "The leader must never fall"). After meeting Hans Kraus, he relaxed his "lead-climb only" rule (which Kraus had also adopted), and the two men climbed as equal partners.
Wiessner had his first experience of climbing in thegreater ranges when he was a member of the first German expedition to attempt the 8,126 m (26,660 ft)Nanga Parbat, led byWilly Merkl in 1932. Because the American, Rand Herron, and Wiessner (who became an American citizen the following year), were among the eight climbers it is sometimes referred to as the German-American expedition.[1] Although the team were all strong climbers none had Himalayan experience, and poor planning (particularly an inadequate number ofporters), coupled with bad weather, prevented progress far beyond theRakhiot Peak northeast of Nanga Parbat's summit.[2] Weissner, Merkl andFritz Bechtold [de] reached the high point of the expedition at 7,000 m (23,000 ft).[a]
In 1936 Wiessner led the party which made thefirst ascent ofMount Waddington, which, at the time, was Canada’s highest unclimbed peak at 4,019 m (13,186 ft)[4]
On July 4, Wiessner,Bill House,Elizabeth Woolsey andAlan Willcox reached the head of theKnight Inlet. For the next twelve days they ferried loads to their base camp at Icefall Point on the Dais Glacier. While on the glacier, they were joined by another expedition led by members of theBritish Columbia Mountaineering Club and theSierra Club. Wiessner's team agreed to allow the others a first chance at the summit but that group failed to find a route up the south face.[4]
On July 20, Wiessner and House first attempted the line of a greatcouloir that comes directly down between the main summit tower and the northwest peak. It was an excellent line for quickly ascending but they were unable to traverse onto the south face proper due to poor rock conditions and were forced to retreat to base camp. By 3 am the next morning they were already climbing up a couloir to the right of the face. Good weather the past few days had cleared most of the snow away from the ledges making for good climbing conditions. Following the left branch of the couloir, they reached a snow patch in the middle of the face. The final 1,000 ft (300 m) of the south face then presented a fierce hurdle of "sheer forbidding-looking rocks" as noted by Wiessner. While Wiessner initially started in boots, he quickly changed torope-soled shoes and gave his ice axe and extra rope to House. Wiessner led several pitches up technically difficult rock including several overhangs. After traversing east across the face they rested on a ledge just below the southeastern ridge, a full 9 hours since leaving the snow patch on the south face. After climbing a short chimney they finally reached the small snowy mass at the top, 13 hours after their start in base camp. They aborted their earlier plan of descending the shorter north face and retraced their ascent line, reaching their tent on the Dais Glacier at 2 am. The ascent to the summit and back to base camp had taken over 23 hours.[4][5]
In 1939, he led an ill-fated American expedition toK2, coming within 800 feet[6] of the summit before having to turn back. Wiessner recounted that, although the difficulties of the climb had been passed and the remainder was straightforward, he turned back in deference to the wishes of hissherpa,Pasang Dawa Lama.[b] The expedition was tainted by the loss ofDudley Wolfe, and initial accounts of the climb lay much of the blame on expedition leader Wiessner. In a 1956 article Wiessner instead directed criticism towardsJack Durrance.[7] The controversy would be reignited after Durrance was convinced to release his personal expedition diary in 1989, which laid blame on the failings of both the deputy party leaderTony Cromwell and Wiessner.[8]
No one came as close to the top of the mountain again until July 31, 1954, when the first ascent was achieved byLino Lacedelli andAchille Compagnoni on the1954 Italian Karakoram expedition.[9][3]
During his first years in America, Wiessner founded a chemical company that specialized in waxes, including a widely usedski wax known as Wiesner's Wonder Wax. He successfully developed his company during theGreat Depression of the 1930s.
Wiessner was also a proficient skier. He was reportedly disappointed that he was not allowed to fight for the U.S. inWorld War II, serving instead as a technical advisor to the10th Mountain Division, and to the "equipment for cold climatic areas commission" of the office of theQuartermaster General of the United States Army inWashington, DC.
Wiessner remained an active climber up into his eighties, often stunning onlookers in the Shawangunks bysoloing his early routes. He loved to solo his climbGargoyle atSkytop by the light of the full moon.
Once, when climbing with a much younger climber sometime in the mid-1970s, the younger climber led the firstpitch, and confided to Wiessner that he had soloed the route earlier in the week. "Ah, you must vee climbing pretty goot!" Wiessner said. He then took the lead for the second pitch, putting in no protection—effectively soloing the pitch. When his partner reached the top, Fritz grinned impishly. "I must vee climbing pretty good too" Wiessner (then in his middle 70s) said. (The source for this anecdote isGuy Waterman).
In 1945, he married Muriel Schoonmaker.[10] In 1946, their son Andrew (Andy) was born. In 1947, their daughter Pauline (Polly) was born. Daughter and son both accompanied their father on many later expeditions and climbing trips. Muriel was a trusted climbing, scrambling, and skiing companion to Fritz for the rest of his life.
In 1952, the Wiessner family moved toStowe, Vermont, where Fritz would live to the end of his days. Wiessner died after suffering a series of strokes at age 88. His family, including his wife Muriel and children Andrew and Pauline, honored his legacy by continuing to participate in outdoor activities. In recognition of his contributions, the Fritz Wiessner Woods was established as a memorial, and several climbing routes and areas have been named in his honor, ensuring that his influence on the sport endures.[11][12]
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