Initials DR/S/WH/SGM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THREE YOUNG GERMAN CLIMBERS WHO MADE MOUNTAINEERING HISTORY WITH A 17-DAY ASCENT OF THE NORTH WALL OF THE 9,480 FOOT GREAT LAVAREDO PEAK IN THE ITALIAN ALPS, RETURNED TO THE VALLEY AT CORTINA D' AMPEZZO ON SUNDAY.

PETER SIEGERT, 26 AND RAINER KAUSHKE, 24, BOTH STEEPLEJACKS, AND GERD UHNER, 22, A CARPENTER, ALL OF MUNICH, WON AN ALPINE "FIRST" BY CONQUERING THE "IMPOSSIBLE" DIRECT ROUTE STRAIGHT UP THE MOUNTAIN'S PERPENDICULAR NORTH WALL, A SHEER 2,300-FOOT ROCKFACE.

STUCK LIKE FLIES ON THIS ROCKFACE, BRAVING SNOWSTORMS, THEY INCHED THEIR WAY UP NAIL BY NAIL. THE CLIMB IS RATED SIXTH DEGREE ON THE MOUNTAINEERING SCALE - THE LIMIT OF HUMAN POSSIBILITY.

THE THREE CLIMBERS SAID THEY COULD HAVE STAYED ON THE SHEER ROCK FACE FOR ANOTHER EIGHT DAYS. BUT SIEGERT, LEADER OF THE TRIO, SAID THEY WOULD NEVER TRY SUCH A CLIMB AGAIN --"IT TOOK EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD."
ON THE CLIMB THEY BEAT SNOWSTORMS AND TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 38 DEGREES CENTIGRADE.

THE MOST TAXING PART OF THEIR CLIMB WAS HAULING FOOD UP BY ROPE. KAUSHKE, CONSIDERED THE STRONGEST OF THE THREE, WAS GIVEN THIS JOB.

THE CLIMBERS NEVER MANAGED TO SLEEP FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS AT A TIME. THEY SAID THEIR ONLY "SECRET" FOR THE CLIMB WAS WILLPOWER, CONSERVING THEIR ENERGIES, AND WORKING AS A TEAM. THEY SPENT ALL THEIR SAVINGS (ABOUT GBP1,785), ON THE FEAT.

MOUNTAINEERING EXPERTS CONSIDER THE NORTH LAVAREDO WALL IN WINTER, WITH ITS TREACHEROUS ICE, IS MORE HAZARDOUS THAN THE EIGER.