Schwarz Mönch 9a (+) by Obed Hadmeier

Obed Hardmeier has done Schwarz Mönch (9a), which is an extension to Renardo Rules (8c) that follows a beautiful black strip up the iconic wall in Gimmelwald. (c) Rainer Eder

"Two years ago I tried the route for the first time. Last year I seriously projected the route as far as it was possible and I had to end the season without an ascent. This year I already had some good attempts in spring which increased the motivation again. On Sunday there was a lot of Foehn wind, which is quite rare in Gimmelwald - in the first attempt of the day I was able to send the route immediately and was overjoyed.

As for the difficulty of the route, I am not sure. In any case, I find the route significantly harder than the 9a "Jungfraumarathon" and "Alpenbitter" next door. Further ascents will clarify..."

What is next?
Currently, I don't have a new goal yet I first have to find another project or finish smaller existing projects. What is for sure is that the season in Gimmelwald is slowly coming to an end. At the end of September, I started my Master's degree (civil engineer ETH Zurich) and still work about 20% besides my studies - so maybe my next goal/challenge is to find a way to combine full-time studies, work and climbing ;).