Salbit trilogy
West, south and east ridge in new best time
"Yannick Glatthard and Simon Wahli climb the west, south and east ridge on the Salbitschijen in a new record time of 5 hours and 53 minutes."
Timing, tactics and teamwork: New best time for the Salbit trilogy
From idea to action
The Salbitschijen with its three ridges fascinates climbers far beyond the borders of Switzerland. For most, it is already a sense of achievement to conquer one of the three ridges in one day especially the longest and most challenging, the west ridge. Together, they count around 70 pitches and over 1,500 meters of climbing, stretching over towers and notches in various directions. directions. It is not surprising that the best climbers compete with speed climbs on these routes.
The most recent record of 9 hours and 36 minutes was only set by Dani Arnold in June 2023. The achievement of the Uri mountain guide and professional climber also inspired Yannick Glatthard and Simon Wahli to test their skills in this terrain. But they wanted to try it as a team.
"We knew from climbing together that we climb quickly and efficiently as a team. On the Salbit trilogy, we were able to put this ability into practice."
Preparation
As a climber and mountain guide, Simon Wahli was familiar with the area. He had already climbed the ridge tours several times or guided guests over the towers. For Yannick, the ridge tours in particular were ridge tours in particular were new to Yannick, so they decided to reconnoitre the three tours on October 2 and 3. They wanted to validate their idea to see if they had a chance of setting a new best time as a team. as a team.
On Monday, October 2, Simon and Yannick climbed the entire east ridge and the upper half of the south ridge, from the Zahnscharte to the needle.
Tuesday, October 3 was dedicated to the Salbit West Ridge. This is the most demanding in terms of difficulty, length and technical requirements. Immediately afterwards, they climbed the lower part of the south ridge. The technique and strategy for the tricky climbing passages were discussed and decided in advance in order to ensure maximum safety later on with minimum loss of time. with minimum loss of time.
After this test run, both felt optimistic. The timing was right, as fewer rope teams venture on these long tours in October. The weather forecasts were stable and both felt fit and fit and experienced after the many climbing days in summer and fall.
"Everyone in the hut knew we wanted to try, but no one said it. Nevertheless, we received so much support and positive energy that we were able to start our project in the best possible conditions."
Teamwork and tactics - the recipe for success
On Thursday, October 5, Simon and Yannick climbed to the Salbithütte with the intention of climbing all three ridges as quickly as possible the next day.
The rope team left the hut at 7.55 a.m. to tackle the west ridge first. The two climbed this ridge with its 6 towers simultaneously, changing the lead in each of the notches. the lead in the notches. Anyone who has ever been on a ridge knows how much time can be saved or lost with rope handling.
The tactic of simultaneous climbing with regular lead changes allowed them to progress quickly and efficiently. When one of them was in the lead and had to make decisions the other could recover mentally and simply follow the climbing line.
After 1 hour and 52 minutes, they were already on the summit needle, making them the first rope team to climb the ridge in under two hours.
They quickly abseiled down the south face to reach the tooth notch of the south ridge. From there it was another two abseils and a short walk to the start of the second ridge. They also climbed this simultaneously, with Simon taking the lead up to the tooth notch and Yannick leading the rest to the summit needle. They left a rope at the abseil point from the They left a rope in the abseil point from the summit needle to save time later and because they would climb the east ridge rope-free, with the exception of the key passage. In order to climb the same route as the record holder, they chose the original original approach to the east ridge, which is slightly higher than the direct approach.
Towards the end of the east ridge, Yannick felt the exhaustion, while Simon knew he would have to give his best again on the descent. The individual strengths of the two climbers - Simon runs faster on the ascent and Yannick on the descent - the duo also played to their strengths in the final spurt.
At 13.48, Simon and Yannick were back at the hut after an emotional race over the scree slopes. They happily took a selfie to record their time. It had taken them 5 hours and 53 minutes, setting a new record for climbing over the three ridges with the Salbithütte as the start and finish line.
"When one of us felt exhausted, the energy of the other could get him back up. One of us was always fit and could carry the other carry the other along."
A long-standing friendship as the basis for a top performance
Simon and Yannick emphasize that they would not have tackled this project alone. From the idea to the implementation, they discussed and planned everything together. For them, it was a team project right from the start. team project.
The two have been friends for many years and have been on numerous tours together. They have known each other for 15 years and were in the same climbing team as teenagers. Later, they climbed their first first tours together in the Wends, such as Elefantenohr and Jednicka, and quickly realized that they complemented each other in these mentally demanding climbs and were able to provide good moral support. support each other. They tackled other major tours in the Dolomites, such as the one-day onsight ascent of the "Path through the Fish" on the Marmolada in winter or the crossing from east to west of the Three Peaks, also in winter.
Both emphasize that they feel responsible for each other, that they discipline each other but never put each other under pressure. The team and the safety of the other is the not the performance of the individual. They can rely on each other and take full responsibility for each other.
Time and records are relative. They don't change our world. But the team spirit that Simon and Yannick demonstrated on the Salbitschijen can be a role model for us and remind us that we can achieve great things together. that you can achieve great things together.
