Nicolai Užnik FA’s Bügelbrett (8C+)

Nicolai Užnik, who last year made a 9A first ascent, has during a solo session done the FA of Bügelbrett (8C+) in Maltatal.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
I’ve spent a lot of time at this boulder over the years - first with Bügeleisen, then the Sit, and over the past months working on this extension. “Bügelbrett” starts on the very bottom right and adds around 7 moves into “Bügeleisen”, with the intro itself being around 8B. The climbing is delicate, technical, and quite different in style from the original line, which makes it challenging to link everything together. Instead of fully committing, I took a different approach, just 1-2 sessions whenever I was home, staying patient and waiting for the right moment. That moment came unexpectedly. On the way down from Innsbruck, I stopped by for a solo session. With a good feeling from the start, things quickly came together. After passing my previous highpoint and dealing with numb fingers in the cold wind, I managed to somehow stick the final move and top out after an insane fight! “Bügeleisen” was first ascended by Klem Loskot in 2001, the Sit version by Nalle Hukkataival in 2014 - and now, more than 10 years later, I’m proud to contribute a small piece to the history of this legendary boulder!