Mountain Running
Toni Palzer runs into record books after sub 3-hour 23km Watzmann crossing
Ski mountaineer and runner Anton Palzer has crossed the three main peaks of the Watzmann mountain in Germany in a record time of 2h 47m.
Palzer attempted the grueling 23km route all above 2,300m altitude in the early hours of Friday June 26 with the weather perfect for mountain running.
Palzer usually recovers from the long ski mountaineering season in June. This year, however, winter competition season ended early in March and therefore Palzer has been able to complete many running training sessions at home in recent months. And always in mind was 'his mountain' – the Watzmann.
Training is homework, but at some point there has to be an exam again
You have to walk over three peaks… Toni Palzer in his element
© Philipp Reiter/Red Bull
"I'm a little nervous, but very motivated," Palzer revealed before the start. "Since there are currently no competitions, it's time for me to look for a challenge again."
In addition, motivated by the new record time of trail runner Hannes Namberger, who'd broken Palzer's previous best mark by recording a time of 3h 01m 53s on Tuesday, Palzer took the high-alpine tour from Wimbachbrücke (634m) via Watzmannhaus (1930m) to Hocheck (2651m) shortly before 07:00 in the morning before scaling the high point at 2,713m, the Southern tip (2,712m) before starting his descent over the Wimbachgrieß (1327m) before arriving back at the Wimbachbrücke.
Back at the Wimbachbrücke, Palzer's clock stopped after just 2h 47m 08s – an astonishing 14 minutes faster than the previous record time. It's hard to imagine when you consider that most mountain climbers can complete the round in about 15 hours as a two-day tour! "I was so sure today," Palzer beamed at the finish. "There was never a situation where it was critical and that's why it went so well."
I really had fun. Only the last three kilometres hurt
Tired, but happy, Toni Palzer brought home the Watzmann record
© Stefan Wiebel/Red Bull
Growing up in the Ramsau with a view of the Watzmann, Palzer is a local athlete, closely rooted in the alpine surroundings of the Berchtesgadener Land, in particular the mountain climbing village of Ramsau. His father Wolfgang Palzer is a mountain guide and ranger in the Berchtesgaden National Park and took him to the Watzmann as a child.
As a competitive athlete, Palzer faced the challenges of the mountains at home early on. In 2012, when he was just 19, he set the first time mark for crossing the Watzmann of 3h 27m. In 2015, he improved his own record by around 17 minutes, in order to beat it again by chance in 2018 with a mark of 3h 06m 55s from a training session.
Since then, the idea of a sub-three (i.e. breaking the three-hour mark) had been anchored in Palzer's head – less than a record hunt, but rather as a personal yardstick. He wanted to know what performance he's physically and mentally capable of under ideal conditions on the 23km route over 2,300m at altitude, with climbing passages of the second level of difficulty. And clearly he's also a little proud to have the fastest time at Watzmann again as Ramsauer.
The Watzmann is somehow my mountain
Palzer checks the time of his new record
© Stefan Wiebel/Red Bull
Facts and times about Palzer's Watzmann crossing:
- Date: 26.06.2020
- Start: Wimbachbrücke 06:58 hours
- Watzmannhaus: 49m
- Hocheck: 1h 21m
- Südspitze: 1h 45m
- Wimbachgrieshütte: 2h 18m
- Wimbachbrücke: 2h 47m
Above, you can see Palzer's Watzmann record from his Strava account. However, Palzer advises against anyone trying it themselves, since the high-alpine traverse on the Watzmanngrat is only feasible for very experienced mountaineers.
Crossing the Watzmann is only for experienced professionals
© Philipp Reiter/Red Bull
