Andreas "Anderl" Heckmair (12 October 1906 – 1 February 2005) was a German mountain climber and guide who led the first successful ascent of the

Eiger The Eiger () is a mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends ...

north face in July 1938.

Early life and education

Eiger first ascent

The most experienced

mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...

in a group consisting of himself,

Ludwig Vörg Ludwig 'Wiggerl' Vörg (19 October 1911 – 22 June 1941) was a notable German mountaineer. With Heinrich Harrer, Fritz Kasparek, and Anderl Heckmair, he successfully climbed the north face of the Eiger in 1938, which was regarded as unclimbable ...

Heinrich Harrer Heinrich Harrer (; 6 July 1912 – 7 January 2006) was an Austrian mountaineer, explorer, writer, sportsman, geographer, and briefly SS sergeant. He was a member of the four-man climbing team that made the first ascent of the North Face of the ...

and Fritz Kasparek, Heckmair led the most difficult pitches in the ascent, aided by the extensive kit (including new 12-point

crampons A crampon is a traction device attached to footwear to improve mobility on snow and ice during ice climbing. Besides ice climbing, crampons are also used for secure travel on snow and ice, such as crossing glaciers, snowfields and icefields, as ...

) that he and Vörg had purchased using sponsors' money. He ran into several problems on the North Face of the Eiger, including a slip while climbing out of the exit cracks; ,

caught him by his feet, piercing his hand on Heckmair's crampons as he did so. The success brought Heckmair fame throughout the world, particularly in his native Germany. The reception included an audience with

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

(whom Heckmair had met before after working with

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, Film editing, editor, photographer, and actress. She is considered one of the most controversial ...

). Although the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

used his achievement for propaganda Anderl shunned the publicity and never joined the Nazi party. After serving on the Eastern Front in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he worked as a mountain guide in his native

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, and was one of the driving forces in the formation of a professional association for mountain guides. In addition to the Eiger climb, Heckmair climbed new routes on the

Grandes Jorasses The Grandes Jorasses (; 4,208 m; 13,806 ft) is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif, on the boundary between Haute-Savoie in France and Aosta Valley in Italy. The first ascent of the highest peak of the mountain (''Pointe Walker'') was by H ...

and many other alpine mountains. He also participated in expeditions to the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

and the

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...

. He was also partially responsible for the development of the "two rope" climbing system. In 1934, he took part as a reserve of the DSV team ( Franz Fischer, Gustav "Gustl" Müller,

Matthias Wörndle Matthias Wörndle (7 December 1909 – 15 October 1942) was a German cross-country skier. Wörndle was born in Partenkirchen, where he was member of the ''Skiclub Partenkirchen'' (SCP) He was member of the Bronze teams at the first and second ...

) in the

Trofeo Mezzalama The Mezzalama Trophy (, , a.k.a. ''white marathon''''Trofeo Mezzalama - Ein Hochgebirgswettlauf der Sonderklasse''
(German), p. 44.

Personal life

Heckmair lived in Oberstdorf until his death.

Literature

* Uli Auffermann: ''Was zählt ist das Erlebnis: Anderl Heckmair - Alpinist und Lebenskünstler; das Porträt des großen Bergführers und Erstbegehers der Eiger-Nordwand''. (Vorwort von Martin Schließler). Semann Verlag, Bochum 2002, . * Uli Auffermann, Anderl Heckmair: ''Zum Glück geht’s bergwärts.'' (Vorwort von

Harry Valérien Harry Valérien (4 November 1923 – 12 October 2012) was a German sports journalist. Life Valérien was born in Munich on 4 November 1923. decided to become a sports journalist under the impression of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. He st ...

). Tyrolia Verlag, Innsbruck 2005, . * Anderl Heckmair: ''Eigernordwand, Grandes Jorasses und andere Abenteuer.'' (Vorwort von

Reinhold Messner Reinhold Andreas Messner (; born 17 September 1944) is an Italian climber, explorer, and author from the German-speaking province of South Tyrol. He made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest and, along with Peter Habeler, the first ascent o ...

). AS Verlag, Zürich 1999, . * David Pagel: ''My Dinner with Anderl.'' In: Allen Steck, Steve Roper: ''Ascent.'' AAC Press, Golden, CO, 1999, , S. 13–26.

References

* David Pagel, ''My Dinner with Anderl,''

Ascent Ascent or The Ascent may refer to: Publications * ''Ascent'' (magazine), an independent, not-for-profit magazine * ''Ascent'' (journal), a literary journal based at Concordia College * ''Ascent'' (novel), by Jed Mercurio * '' Times Ascent'', a ...

, AAC Press, Golden, CO, 1999, pages 13–26. * Anderl Heckmair, ''My Life: Eiger North Face, Grandes Jorasses, and Other Adventures,'' The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, WA, English Translation by Tim Carruthers, 2002, from ''Eigernordwand, Grandes Jorasses und andere Abenteuer,'' AS Verlag & Buchkonzept AG, Zürich 1999, . The English translation appears abridged. Also available in French (likely more complete) as ''Alpiniste,'' Editions Guerin, Chamonix, 1997 from "Mein Leben als Bergsteiger" (1972) and "So War's" (1991).

External links

*
Obituary
Telegraph 5 February 2005

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heckmair, Andreas Alpine guides Sportspeople from Munich German mountain climbers German male ski mountaineers 1906 births 2005 deaths German military personnel of World War II 20th-century German sportsmen