Category Finalist 2007: spirit

Klaus Fengler

Each January, Black Diamond organizes an ice climbing festival in Kandersteg, in the Bernese Overland of Switzerland. Ines Pappert had phoned me to let me know that she was planning to climb the Breitwangflue with Will Gadd, who would be attending the festival this year. I was immediately hooked. I called Will in advance to arrange a shoot — I had taken photos of him before, on a short visit to Canada.

It wasn’t until we were sitting in the little train that climbed Breitwangflue that Ines told me that she and Will wanted to repeat the climb of Mach 3, a route climbed for the first time ever by Robert Jasper.

Ines and Will were taking turns lead-climbing for three rope lengths until they reached the crux (the most difficult section of the climb). I followed them ascending a fixed rope. On his second try, Will managed to climb this severely overhanging section. He then hooked in a fixed rope in just the right position to allow me to take some shots of him and Ines in this exposed section.

Athletes: Will Gadd, Ines Pappert
Location: Route "Mach 3/M9", Kandersteg, Breitwangflue, Switzerland

TECHNICAL INFO

• Camera: Canon EOS-1D Mark II and Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II
• Lens: 15–400 mm