A Descent Through Love and Grief
FIRST DESCENT: BAD GASTEIN WATERFALL, AUSTRIA
In the heart of the scenic town of Bad Gastein, nestled in the Austrian Alps, stands one of Europe’s most remarkable natural features. A 300 meter long sequence of slides and drops which cumulates in a 112ft. Waterfall.
For years, Matthias Weger had been eyeing this majestic waterfall and after several scouting missions on different flows he came to the conclusion that it’s gonna be him who wants to fire this thing up.
On the 19th August, Matthias seized the opportunity. In the morning of the descent Matthias met up with his crew at the bridge above the waterfall.
Matthias plan was to rapel from a rappelling station which he had set up the day before in to the eddy above the lip whilst already sitting in his kayak.
He had Mario Leitner to help him to hit the right spot. Adrian Mattern, Marinus Bauer and Felicitas Grabner where waiting in the pool for safety and David Sodomka, Kristof Stursa, Simon Hutter and Martin Sàlek where behind the camera.
The Impact was hard, but no bones have been broken.
At 112 ft, this might be the highest waterfall ever run in Europe. Matthias thinks that linking the two drops above with the main waterfall, as Bren Orton envisioned, is potentially possible but would require a high level of commitment.
By: Matthias Weger