Martin Keller Finishes 3 Year Project In Switzerland

Martin Keller Finishes 3 Year Project In Switzerland

Martin Keller has finished his long-standing project in Chironico after 3 years and over 100 days of work calling it Der mit dem Fels tanzt or He who dances with rocks.  The 35-year-old Keller, dubbed a “regular dude” by Rock & Ice, may not be a familiar name in your household, but he had previously done a good number of V13’s and V14’s before he stopped updating what was always one of my favorite 8a scorecards.  It’s likely that this new line is V7 V15, but that’s not the important part here.

I encourage you to read Keller’s post about the send as he goes into great detail about the entire process, but above all I think this is the key takeaway for anyone trying to push themselves in this sport:

i am well aware that this ascent is nothing “special” for the world, not even for the climbing-world (boulders that hard are beeing flashed these days…). but this ascent showed me again, no matter what grade you are climbing, that if you really, really want to do something hard or over your limit, then don’t put your head in the sand. stand up and go for it. and more often then you might think you will be able to finish it up. but you may have to give a lot from you. not just a two-day-mini-“epic”, may you have to fight hard with yourself, you have to think, dream, and literally live it. that experience is something you can’t buy anywhere and there is no number to express it. there are no shortcuts, you have to go for it by yourself – the whole way!!!

You can see Keller vanquishing another project of his in Chironico, No Mystery (low) after a hold broke, by clicking the below image:

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6 Responses to Martin Keller Finishes 3 Year Project In Switzerland

  1. NEH April 30, 2012 at 11:18 am #

    Martin embodies what climbing is about. A personal and meaningful pursuit. His writings are honest and not superficial at all which is super refreshing. Nicely done!

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  2. colin April 30, 2012 at 2:46 pm #

    Every now and then I would check in on Martin’s blog and wonder if he’d ever send that thing. I’ve never had a project that took that kind of commitment…inspiring stuff for sure.

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  3. Bert April 30, 2012 at 7:45 pm #

    I really enjoyed reading Keller’s write up.

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  4. texasclimber May 1, 2012 at 8:03 am #

    man, i need a project in my life

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  5. Evan Marlatt May 2, 2012 at 10:16 pm #

    What type of shoe is he using in the video?

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    • DK May 2, 2012 at 10:31 pm #

      La Sportiva Venom . . . it’s from a few years back, they don’t make it anymore.

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