Career Highlights

  • Free Climbing Freerider ground up over 6 days, then coming back 6 months later and climbing it In-a-Day. Becoming the Youngest to free- climb El Cap in-a-day via Freerider in 18 hours.
  • Redpointing 5.14a with ‘Murder Weapon’ in El Salto
  • Heavy Fuel 5.13R 10 pitches
  • Second Ascent of ‘Manchu Wok’ 5.12d 13 pitch alpine route
  • Producing the Film ‘Contact’. A self-documented climbing video of me and my friends on our American climbing trip.

Favorite places to live/ climb/ visit:

Squamish, Yosemite, Bishop, El Salto and the Bugaboos

Favorite type of climbing: 

If I had to choose, it would be Bigwall Climbing. But i love it all!

What most people don't know about me:

I grew up as a competitive Freestyle skier, that specialized in Mogul Skiing!

    Interview

    • Climbing

      When and how did you get into climbing? What keeps you interested? What fascinates you?

      I got into climbing when I was 16. At the time, I wasn’t very outdoorsy, but one day I went on a hike with my dad up a nearby alpine granite peak. At the summit there was a short scramble, and that was my first taste of climbing. I wanted to know if there was more. A few months later, I started going to the climbing gym. When the snow melted, a good friend and I bought our own gear and began teaching ourselves how to climb through YouTube videos.

      I loved everything about it — spending time outside with friends, being in nature, pushing myself, and even getting scared. With every session, I could feel myself growing as a person.

      Who was your childhood hero and do you consider yourself a role model now? Does it influence you at all that other people look up to you?

      When I was younger, my heroes were mogul skier Andi Naude, and later, when I started skateboarding, Eric Winkowski. Once I got into climbing, that shifted to Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Nico Favresse, Marc-André Leclerc, and Sonnie Trotter. All of these names are still huge inspirations to me, but over time I’ve found the most fulfillment and inspiration from the people close to me. My heroes have become my friends, and my friends have become my heroes.

      I don’t really consider myself a role model. I think everyone should just strive to be their best selves, and to be kind and supportive of others. If being a role model changes how you present yourself, then your life turns into an act — and I’d rather just be genuine.

      What have been the most important milestones in your life so far, both in climbing and in everyday life? And did you recognize them immediately as such or only later on?

      The biggest milestone in my life was right after I graduated high school. The very next day, I packed up my family’s van and drove to Squamish to climb. At the time, I went there purely for the climbing, but soon after arriving I discovered the community side of it. I got welcomed into a wonderful group of dirtbags who showed me the way.

      By the end of that summer, I knew all I wanted was to climb with my friends, explore the world, and push myself as far as I could go. Looking back, that summer was the turning point that shaped everything that’s come since.

       

      What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?

      I’ve had many injuries, but the hardest period was in 2023. That summer, I developed severe tendonitis that kept me from climbing for most of the season. Even then, I held on to my dream of climbing El Cap in the fall. As the tendonitis finally started to fade, I headed south and arrived in Yosemite.

      About a week into the trip, I tore the labrum in my shoulder on Separate Reality. I was devastated — to the point of contemplating quitting climbing altogether. But I made a deal with myself: I would give everything to rehabbing and training, and see if my effort could bring me back.

      I became religious about rehab and rebuilding my strength. Over time, I came back not only stronger, but also with countless good habits that still shape my climbing today. Physically, it was hard — but the real battle was mental. I learned to journal, meditate, and take care of my mindset. Most importantly, my friends and the community around me carried me through. I couldn’t have done it without them.

      What is your favorite climbing related story / experience?

      My favorite climbing experience was doing Freerider in a day. Around 17 hours in, I found myself at the Scotty Burke, about 28 pitches up. That pitch had been a major hurdle for me on a previous ground-up attempt — a flared 5.10+ offwidth bulge that I could never figure out. I had rehearsed it, but the only way I could get up was with desperate layback beta that felt closer to 5.12+.

      When I reached it during the in-a-day push, I pulled into the layback and nearly finished it — but melted off the final move. I thought that was the end of my push. I tried again, but I just couldn’t make the layback work. Out of pure desperation, I dropped into an offwidth position, stacked my fists above my head, and gave it everything.

      For some reason, it just clicked. I had never been able to offwidth that section before, but in the moment I needed it most, it came together. It felt magical — like the route gave me a chance when I was about to lose it all.

    • Training

      Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?

      Not really. About half the year I’m in Squamish, and that’s when I’m closest to having a structured routine. I usually do a “push” day each week for opposition, and I mix in boarding and weighted pull-ups.

      I’ve tried sticking to a strict training schedule, but it just doesn’t work for me. I climb my best when I’m inspired, and if I’m not following that inspiration, I actually feel like I get worse.

      What advice can you give to somebody looking to improve their training routine?

      Listen to your body. One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given is that “a calendar is the worst thing for a climber.” Most of my injuries and setbacks have come from overtraining or trying too hard to stick to a rigid schedule.

      Having a structured routine is useful, but the real key is balance — knowing when to push and when to step back. The ability to bend your schedule when your body needs it will keep you healthier and progressing longer than forcing yourself to follow it no matter what.

      What do you think of indoor climbing gyms in relation to climbing on actual rock?

      I think climbing gyms are incredibly helpful. For me, they’re less fulfilling than being on real rock, but still really fun and an amazing tool. In the gym, you can get very intentional, targeted stimulus in a super efficient way compared to outside.

      That said, real rock teaches you far more overall. But the gym is what can take you to the next level. I think of it like any major sport — football players don’t just play games all the time; they work on specific skills and drills off the field. Climbing gyms fill that same role for rock climbing.

       

      Are you able to do a one-arm pull-up? How about a single finger?

      No, and definitely not! The pure strength feats are something I need to work on.

      How much of the success as a pro climber is due to show and how much due to actual climbing skill?

      I think it really depends on the person. For me, it’s a mix. I haven’t been climbing for that long, and I’m not the strongest out there, but I love sharing the stoke and creating art and media around it.

      Being a pro athlete isn’t just about being the best climber. It’s also about being the best representative for the companies you work with, and about being able to articulate the stoke and share it with the community. Every athlete brings a different set of strengths to the table, and that variety is what makes the climbing world so rich.

    • Psychology

      Is it possible for anybody to eventually perform a one-armed pull-up or get to the top of the Eiger/Matterhorn, or do you really have to be born for it?

      Genetics definitely play a role in any high-performance athletic pursuit. But with the right mindset, hard work, and dedication, I believe most things are possible. We’re capable of so much more than we think — that’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about myself over the past few years.

      Believe in yourself.

      How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals / targets you are working towards in climbing and in life?

      I think it’s one of — if not the — most important things. Setting goals is something all high achievers have in common. I’m an incredibly goal-oriented person, and having something to work toward always helps keep me on track.

      For me, goals are very “route” specific. I’m not hugely motivated by grades — what inspires me more are the history and beauty of certain climbs. I keep a long list of dream routes, and I’m slowly working my way through them in an order that I believe prepares me for the next one, each time a little better than before.

       

      How do you deal with extremely hard climbing problems? Do you ever get frustrated and give up on them or do they motivate you even more?

      I definitely get frustrated at times, but I feel like I’ve never truly given up on something. Sometimes you just run out of time or have to move on, and that’s part of the process.

      What I’ve been learning is how I want to navigate those situations. For me, it’s about having an aggressive acceptance of the outcome. All you can really do is try your best. I climb to be present, to have fun, and to push myself. The outcome is secondary — whatever happens, happens. As long as I’ve given everything I have to a goal, I know I’ll walk away happy.

    • Future of climbing

      Is there anything you would like to change about the current developments in climbing?

      Nothing really comes to mind. I think climbing is moving in a beautiful direction right now. There’s a new, stoked generation coming up, and with them has come a big push for authentic art and media in climbing. I love it.

      Where do you see the sport going in the next years, what will change and what is your role going to be in it?

      I think we’re seeing a renaissance of trad climbing, big walling, and a move away from a purely athletic focus. The adventure, the experience, and the spirit of climbing are becoming more valuable again — while still pushing ourselves to our limits.

      My role, I hope, is to help catalyze this shift by creating adventures that capture that spirit. Through my own climbs, and those I share with my friends, I want to highlight the beauty, creativity, and meaning that climbing can bring.