Column | Rethinking with Tamara Lunger

The tour book is open before us. And we have a lot planned again this year. But take it easy. Don't rush. We're also taking our time with the planning, just like our hikes in the mountains of South Tyrol. We're taking our time and thus almost losing our time. Whenever I catch news from the alpine world, it's almost always about speed. Fast up, fast back down. Just two of countless examples: Swiss climber Nicolas Hojac and his Austrian climbing buddy Phillip Brugger recently conquered the striking Swiss mountains Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau in 15 hours and exactly 30 minutes. You could say it was about time, because the previous record, held by Uli Steck and Stephan Siegrist, was already 21 years old and had now been beaten by ten hours. The new record holders set out in the middle of the night and traversed the Eiger North Face in just over five hours, completely in the dark. Once at the top, they took a five-minute break. The second mountain awaited. The pair had climbed three north faces in less than a day. And the wild chase continues. This time, of course, they also climbed Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain at 8848 meters, which, for that reason alone, electrifies people. Four Brits needed seven days. The highlight of the whole thing. The clock started in London. From there they went to Kathmandu. There, a helicopter was probably already waiting, its rotors running, to fly the quartet to base camp. A quick change of clothes, and off they went. Everyone came back down safely. Great. About 330 people who have tried in recent years have failed. There are even body recovery teams now. Business continues to boom, though, because, of course, the trip for the guys from England was professionally organized, including the preparation. Everyone slept beforehand in hypoxia tents, which simulate the thin air on site, and they inhaled the noble gas xenon, which is supposed to help prevent altitude sickness or at least mitigate its symptoms. The fatal news is in the tour's information leaflet: Anyone who wants to and has the necessary cash can climb Mount Everest. We only pack water, a salami, cheese, and Schüttelbrot. That's enough up to 2500 meters. To prepare, we sleep at home in our own beds. We see the mountains as a way to slow down in our hectic world and we rejoice when the sun rises, its red fireball constantly reminding us that it is the giver of life. I think that mountains and record-breaking are like fire and ice. It's a fatal combination that doesn't mix. But Reinhold Messner did... He was the first to climb the world's 14 eight-thousanders without taking any oxygen. He reached the summits. Speed wasn't important. The deed alone counted. Whether you call it a record or not is a matter of opinion. Not really. The little happiness Change of scene. I'm watching a film with Tamara Lunger from the Eggental Valley, whose name I've only associated with special expeditions until now. She was the youngest woman to climb Lhotse (8516 meters) and later reached the summit of K2 (8611 meters), which she later wanted to conquer in winter, even though it is arguably the most difficult eight-thousander. It was probably a life-changing experience for her in 2021. Four people died. The South Tyroleans haven't lost their love of the mountains, and perhaps that's precisely why they're now returning to their roots. She's standing on a summit, cheering and gazing, touched and almost reverent, at the landscape that opens up before her. She's in Albania. There are no peaks there that are higher than 2800 meters. For Lunger, these are usually small hills. Hardly worth mentioning, really. And yet, the extreme alpinist is evidently at peace with herself here. She's on a tour for "Servus-TV" from the mountains to the sea, saying meaningful phrases like, "I want to hold on to the child inside me." And so it goes. "It's nice to be so relaxed," she says, adding that she doesn't need this pursuit of altitude and extremes right now. The mountains have Tamara Lunger again, or vice versa: She has rediscovered the mountains, found them again. Their power, their magic, and above all, without feeling that she has to move through them as quickly or as spectacularly as possible. She walks calmly. Your gaze repeatedly wanders left and right. She bends down, touches plants, sits on a tree stump and remains silent. As an observer, you get the impression that she is happier in this moment than she was back on the windswept peaks of the Himalayas, where, for example, she had to abort her winter ascent of Nanga Parbat due to health problems. "The dream turned into a nightmare," she later recounts. In Albania, she grabs her mountain bike, rides along a truly deserted trail, and then paddles a few kilometers down the Vjosa, Albania's longest river, which was spared a planned dam thanks to dedicated environmentalists. At the end, she climbs again. Logically, ten meters directly above the Mediterranean or belays her colleague from below. The Mediterranean washes over her legs. That, it seems, is real life. Nevertheless, I know that people cannot be eradicated from their desire to set records, wherever they may be. The only question is whether we always have to mention every so-called record in the media. Shouldn't it be up to each individual to use the mountains as they wish, without the public always having to take notice? In any case, Tamara Lunger has made a tremendous contribution to changing people's thinking, not least because she knows what the other side of the mountain looks like. About the author Sigi Heinrich The award-winning sports journalist (including the German Television Award, the Bavarian Sports Award, and a nominee for the prestigious Grimme Prize), author, longtime sports editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, and commentator for Eurosport since 1989, devotes his weekly column to the full range of sports and enjoys exploring unfamiliar territory. Sometimes with a smile, sometimes thoughtfully or deliberately provocatively. There should be something for everyone.

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Column | Rethinking with Tamara Lunger

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