M AG I C S U M M I T S
Cliff in Sight! Rock-solid certainty: The Gerlossteinwand above Hainzenberg has long been a Zillertal trademark. Stephan Eberharter has a very special relationship with this unique elevation.
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so many goals and doesn’t have the urge that “I absolutely have to get up there”, Eberharter wouldn’t be Eberharter if he didn’t smile mischievously and say: “But who knows? Maybe I’ll go up there one day after all to see what it’s like.”
“This wall is unique in its characteristics. So striking that for me it is a symbol of home. And even though I’ve never been on the via ferrata, it fills me with pride to see how much joy people get from conquering the rocks.” Stephan Eberharter
PHOTOS: THOMAS PFISTER, BECKNAPHOTO
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tephan Eberharter, Zillertal’s most successful skier, proudly and respectfully points out the Gerlossteinwand from a distance. And then the Olympic gold medallist and 3-time world champion smiles and says: “There on the left is the Brandberger Kolm, on the right you see the Ahornspitze, and in between is the Gerlossteinwand … a picture that I’d instantly recognise among thousands.” Not least because “Steff” made his first turns in the snow right there, at the foot of the cliff. “That’s where we used to go after school, and I discovered my great passion for skiing.” Still, he has never before explored the 380-metre via ferrata in his life. It’s hard to believe, but Eberharter of all people, who is on a first-name basis with the mountains as a downhill skier, feels somewhat in awe of the imposing rock. “I know that the well-secured wall can be a great adventure for anyone, but it’s not my trade.” And so, even at 52, he sees the legendary Gerlossteinwand for what it is: “A unique elevation, with many opportunities for athletes and families, and I always say: This is my Zillertal.” And even though he has achieved
