Lukas Sager does Torture physique 2.0 (9a)

Lukas Sager, who did his first, out of five 9a’s, in 2022 at age 17, has repeated Pirmin Bertle’s Torture physique 2.0 (9a) in Gastlosen.

Can you give us an equally interesting write-up of the ascent as you did for your send of The Famous Gem?
Torture physique intégrale 9b❌ Torture physique 9a✅ Has the ninth grade in climbing become some kind of “normality”? Every week, we discover new ascents in the ninth grade on social media. For the general public, it might almost seem trivial. Even I’ve wondered if, nowadays, sending a 9th-grade route could be within reach of a larger number of climbers. Don’t get me wrong, it still requires dedication and countless hours of training… But should the ascent of a 9a still make the headlines of climbing media such as 8a.nu? I had a little smile when Jens Larssen contacted me to write about my last little Swiss trip. I’m not sure… but maybe I can also try to send a message at the same time. I’ll let you decide.

After spending July in France, I absolutely wanted to enjoy once more the beautiful landscapes of the Gastlosen — a place that means a lot to me — before moving to Austria, more precisely to Innsbruck. “The story of Torture Physique and the Gastlosen” Torture physique is located in the Gastlosen mountain range, in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. A discreet massif, unknown to the general public, but for me, it’s one of the most magical places I’ve been visiting for years. Here you find everything: multi-pitch routes, sport climbs, and even a few hidden boulders in the forest. A true little paradise for anyone who loves climbing off the beaten path.

Torture physique intégrale (9a+/b) was bolted by Philippe Steulet and Jean-Claude Bovard — two visionaries who imagined future testpieces in the massif — back in the late 80s. It was the first free climb in its entirety in 2013 by Adam Ondra. Since then, it has never seen a repeat. A line that is both mythical and intimidating for me, a real monster. Normally, I would pass by, but this time I told myself: “Let’s try something harder.”

“Torture physique 9a — the process” We only had six days of climbing in the Gastlosen because of unstable weather. It took me four days to finally send Torture physique 9a. I would have loved to do the extension, which (to me) has a more logical finish. But with the lack of time, rain, humidity, and short climbing windows, I couldn’t free the route in its entirety.

“A little description of the route for those interested” The route is 26 meters long in a 45° overhang, with a 6-meter pedestal at the start. Then around 20 meters of climbing on pockets. A proper forearm-pumping line, with two cruxes: one right after the pedestal, and another just below the anchor. And if you want to go for the (9a+/b) anchor, which is another 6 meters higher, you need to add around a 7C+ boulder without any real rest. Once again, big thanks to the TEAM — almost complete this time — Maria and Louis, and congrats for their own sends too!