04 Sep Big Wall in Albania by an international team

 
Climbing Arapi’s south wall, in Northen Albanian Alps, a german/albanian team, leaded by Gerald Krug has freed one of the last Europe’s big wall.
 
Arapi’s south wall is 800 meters high, so likely the biggest of Balcans, being twice  higher than Anica Kuk in Croatia and one and a half  than  Peretele Vaiia Alba in Romania.
 
The route was called Raki am Arapi 970 m, VIII° (VII° obl)  18 pitches. The most difficult pitches are in the upper part on compact limestone.
Major dangers were big stones fall – an  accident (luckily not serious) occurring to one of the team members.
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Gerald Krug and Axel Hake did the first ascent, Daniel Wilhelm and Ferdinand Triller the first redpoint and  Christiane Hupe the FFA, leading all the pitches.
 
Source : klettern.de  geoquest verlag
Photos : geoquest verlag