Climbing
This epic trek saw Stefan Glowacz conquer 3 unclimbed walls in 3 countries
Join climbing legend Stefan Glowacz and his team as they embark on an expedition from his homeland of Germany and along some of the Silk Road to Turkey, Iran and Tajikistan.
Stefan Glowacz has been climbing his whole life - first competitively, and later as a professional adventure seeker. But it’s only now at the age of 58 that the German sets out on the biggest journey of his life. Together with three companions, two mountaineers and his son Tim, he travels to the Middle East.
The team’s ambitious quest was to travel along some of the historic Silk Road and ascend three unclimbed walls in three different countries - all within a tight timeframe of three months.
The journey up
© Tim Glowacz/Red Bull Content Pool
"What drives me is the adventure of discovery hiding behind every horizon,“ says Glowacz. After his competitive career, the climber now seeks not only new summits but also the experiences and intellectual challenges that come with travelling.
He's driven by curiosity - to make new experiences in places he has never visited. But the journey is also a test, as Glowacz admits. At 58, with 40 years in climbing, he asks himself, “Am I physically and mentally fit to complete the expedition?”
The group’s 4000km journey starts in Berchtesgaden, Germany. Then they take their refurbished old truck, named Elke, to Turkey, followed by a stop in Iran and then to the grand finale in Tajikistan. Each stop is differentiated by the type of rock, climbing technique and elevation.
Glowacz's travel companions are two other mountaineers: 55-year-old Christian Schlesener, also known as Schlesi, who is a long-time friend of Glowacz, and 33-year old Joseph Pfnuer, known as Steno, who is the youngest of the three climbers.
Taking it all in
© Tim Glowacz/Red Bull Content Pool
The fourth climber on the truck is Tim, who is Glowacz’s 27-year-old son. Unlike his father, his passion isn't climbing, but is in fact filmmaking, so he accompanies the group as a cameraman and director. “The guys are climbing, I’m here to film,“ he explains. “I’m hoping for an adventure in countries I wouldn’t normally travel to.”
Indeed, the resulting documentary film, Walls On Silk Road, allows the viewer to see the beauty and magic of mountain regions only a few people have seen before and even fewer have climbed. Watch the full documentary in the video player at the top of this page.
We look for a really good wall, a so-called Magic Line
The historical Silk Road links the East to the West, but for Stefan Glowacz the fascination along the road lies also in its vertical qualities. A great wall to climb is not enough for him – he and his team are determined to climb the most challenging routes that nobody has climbed before. Glowacz searches for the most intriguing way up at every country stop, be it the Aladağlar mountains in Turkey, the Alam-Kūh mountains in Iran or the Pamir mountain in Tajikistan.
“It’s important we don’t go straight for the summit,“ says Gowasz. "We look for a really good wall, a so-called Magic Line.“
The climb itself sees Glowacz cling to barren, rugged rock walls like a salamander, while an icy wind whistles around him. Bloody fingertips, aching muscles and grimaced faces – climbing demands everything from the group.
"When I climb I can switch off,” explains Steno, who works as a metal worker back at home. “Climbing is like meditation for me. I lose my thoughts completely. I'm totally one with the task.“
Stefan Glowacz climbs a sheer rock face in Turkey
© Tim Glowacz/Red Bull Content Pool
Thanks to Tim’s camera, you don’t have to be a mountaineer to experience the remote regions along the Silk Route. The film transports viewers to remote regions, introducing them to the local culture and its people. In each region, the group encounters fellow mountaineers who share their passion and assist them in their ambitious plan.
“You have to hit the road, to see what’s over the horizon,” explains Glowacz, whose expedition shows that embarking on adventurous pursuits knows no bounds when it comes to age.
The pursuit of dreams is timeless. Walls On Silk Road is a testament to the enduring spirit within us that recognises no expiration date. Every road, no matter how distant, and every wall, no matter how towering, is conquerable with the indomitable will to climb.