Wolfgang Güllich

He first started climbing on the Sandstone-rocks of the 'Südpfalz'. Soon he became one of the best climbers in this region and made the first free ascent of Jubiläumsriss (VII-) at the age of 16. He travelled to the Elbsandsteingebirge, and to the Shawangunks and Yosemite Valley, US, where he could climb most of the top routes of each area, including a 2nd ascent of Grand Illusion (5.13b/c). Later he moved to the Frankenjura (Germany) and created a great number of hard climbing routes such as:

• Kanal im Rücken, 1984, first X (8b) in history, Frankenjura (DEU)
• Punks in the Gym, Apr 1985, first X+ (8b+) in history, Mount Arapiles (AUS)[2]
• Amadeus Schwarzenegger, 1986, rated X (8b), Frankenjura (DEU)[3]
• Wallstreet, 1987, first XI- (8c) in history, Frankenjura (DEU)[4]
• Action Directe, Aug 1991, first XI (9a) in history, Frankenjura (DEU). Still considered one of the hardest routes worldwide.[5]

Güllich added several grades to the grading system. In fact, with the exception of Ben Moon's Hubble (the world's first 8c+), Wolfgang was responsible for 4 consecutive step-ups, with the world's first 8b (Kanal im Rücken, 1984), 8b+ (Punks in the Gym, 1985), 8c (Wallstreet, 1987), and 9a (Action Directe, 1991). However, it is important to note that this exception only exists on the French grade system, while for the UIAA system that Güllich himself used, the four steps were consecutive without exception (X, X+, XI-, XI).

While training for Action Directe, Güllich invented the modern training technique of campus boarding to prepare his fingers for the grueling overhung crimps. He hung the first campus board at a Nürnberg gym named "Campus" in 1988, and made the first ascent three years later. He worked with his friend and fellow climber Jerry Moffatt who found that the power training greatly improved a climber's endurance.[6][2][7]

In addition to his sport climbing endeavours, Güllich put up the first ascents of iconic routes like Eternal Flame (IX- A2) in the Karakoram[8] and Riders on the Storm (IX A3) in Patagonia.[9] The boldness of these routes showed that he excelled at difficult mountain routes as well as one-pitch sports climbs.

He broke his back falling off the Master's Edge at Millstone Quarry in Derbyshire, England[10] but when he recovered, in 1986, he became the first man to free solo Separate Reality, 7a (5.11d), a twenty-foot horizontal crack in an overhanging roof in Yosemite National Park, USA.[11]

In 1990 he met his future wife Anette, whom he married one year later.

He was a climbing double for Sylvester Stallone in the 1993 movie Cliffhanger, along with Ron Kauk.[12][2]

On August 29, 1992 Wolfgang fell asleep at the wheel of his car and veered off the Autobahn between Munich and Nuremberg as he made his way home from an interview. Two days later he died in a hospital in Ingolstadt, never having regained consciousness.

"A man doesn't go to drink coffee after climbing, coffee is integral part of the climbing."

— Wolfgang Güllich

"If climbing is an art, then creativity is its main component."[13]

— Wolfgang Güllich

• Notable first free ascents

• Güllich, Wolfgang; Kubin, Andreas (1989). Sportklettern heute: Technik - Taktik - Training (in German). Bruckmann. ISBN 9783765420535.
• Hepp, Tilmann (1993). Wolfgang Güllich. Leben in der Senkrechten (in German). Rosenheim: Rosenheimer. ISBN 3-475-52747-2. (Biography)
• Hepp, Tilmann; Thomas "Balli" Ballenberger (2006). Wolfgang Güllich - Klettern heißt frei sein (in German). Stuttgart/Nürnberg: Boulder Verlag. ISBN 978-3-9811231-0-4. (Artbook)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wolfgang Güllich.

• Official website (in German)
• Profile on theCrag
• Profile on climbandmore.com