Well-known alpinists Robert Jasper (Germany) and Roger Schaeli (Switzerland) have made a long-awaited free ascent of the Japanese Direttissima on the Eiger, likely creating the most demanding of all 30+ routes on this legendary 1,800m alpine face.

The Direttissima, only the third route to be put up on the North Face, was climbed over a month in the summer of 1969 by Amano, Imai, Kato, Kato, Kubo and Negishi (Michiko Imai was a 27-year old female doctor) at UIAA VI and A2/A3.

There was much criticism of their tactics at the time: the route was sieged, 1,300m of rope and 250 bolts were left on the wall, and the team took 1,000kg of equipment on the route.

However, their ascent was reportedly 'an equipment test for planned big wall ascents in the Karakoram' and few people failed to admire the determination and endurance of the Japanese, who worked through hostile conditions to complete the line.

During the following winter, and on their fourth attempt, a five-man Swiss team repeated the line. They fixed ropes to a bivouac site on the Second Icefield and made their final successful push over six days.

The Japanese Direttissima starts up the Original 1938 Route but above the Difficult Crack climbs directly through the left side of the vertical to overhanging 200m-high Rote Fluh to gain the Second IceField.

From there it climbs the 800m headwall to the Summit Icefield. This involves two successive pillars of steep, friable rock, the second - Sphinx Pillar - right of the Fly.

Jasper attempted the route in 1991 only to be driven back by rockfall. At that stage he was unable to envisage climbing the compact Rote Fluh free. Schaeli (with fellow Swiss Simon Anthamatten) began his free attempts in 2003, managing to eliminate aid from most of the original line on the Rote Fluh. It was at this time that Jasper became increasingly obsessed with the idea of making the first free ascent.

Jasper teamed up with Schaeli this summer and after much work the pair managed the final redpoint at the end of the season. Damp streaks characterized the Rote Fluh, and 40-year old rusting bolts for protection failed to inspire. Difficulties were quite sustained at 7b-7c, generally crimping hard on small edges. The two crux pitches were partially wet, but Jasper got the hardest - just - on his third try (8a).

The pair descended from the top of the Rote Fluh and sat out the following day's poor weather in their tent, pitched at the Stollenloch, the railway tunnel window that opens out onto the North Face.

Next day they set off in the night and bypassed the Rote Fluh to regain their high point. Climbing the 'broken pillar, above the Second Icefield, Jasper was hit on the helmet by a fist-sized rock, and then after another bivouac, and on the suspect rock of the Sphinx Pillar, Schaeli had to pull out all the stops on a pitch that eventually went at hard 7b.

The two reached the Summit Icefield at a similar point to Jeff Lowe's 1991 route Metanoia and at one point belayed to an ancient rucksack, well frozen into the ice: this may have belonged to Lowe.

Already highly accomplished alpinists, Jasper and Schaeli feel their free ascent of the Japanese Direttissima, with sustained climbing, less than perfect rock, and mixed ground to M5, is a major highlight of their careers.

Thanks to Robert Jasper and Frank Kretschmann for help with this report
 

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