Supertramp (12 pitches, 6c+/5.11+ A0), located in the Glarus Alps of central Switzerland, offers over 1000 feet of historic, heady, and beautiful big wall climbing—making it one the world’s most classic multi-pitch lines.

This route saw its visionary first ascent in 1980 by Martin Scheel and George Benisowitsch, whose ethics were rooted in a traditional mentality:

Either you climb free or you climb without bolts. Only like this the mountain has a chance.

– Martin Scheel

As such, these first ascensionists made it to the top of this tricky and traversing route relying solely on traditional protection and seldom hand-drilled bolts.

In 2004, however, a rebolting effort turned sour, when in contrast to Martin Scheel’s wishes, far more bolts than just the original ones were added to the wall. Ultimately, this dispute led to the removal of 28 bolts on Supertramp; returning it to its original, committing nature.

Recently, David Lama and Katherine Choong came to experience this classic multi-pitch for themselves. In this film, you’ll hear their discussion with Martin Scheel himself, and get a peek at what Supertramp is all about.