Favorite type of climbing:
Sport climbing, Bouldering
Interview
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Climbing
When and how did you get into climbing? What keeps you interested? What fascinates you?
I did my first climb in 1989, I love climbing because it bring me the possibility to travel around the world and be in a new places.
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?
A lot of climbers like Wolfgang Güllich, Patrick Edlinger, Patxi Arocena o Pedro Pons.
I don't know if I'm a role model, I do what I like and if that inspires other climbers, great!
It doesn't influence me, maybe it motivates me.
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?
Maintaining the perseverance and motivation to have climbed more than 5,200 routes and opened more than 1,200 in 15 different countries.
Things are always valued more in perspective.
What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?
I had very few failures, not doing some routes, although more than a failure, was always a learning experience...
What is your favorite climbing related story / experience?
Travel to climb in places like Morocco, Thailand or China... among many others.
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Training
Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?
I do not do a specific training, I only climb all that I can.
What advice can you give to somebody looking to improve their training routine?
Go hard with the rock climbing and climb all that is possible.
What do you think of indoor climbing gyms in relation to climbing on actual rock?
Indoor climbing and rock climbing are becoming more and more different, for me the most important thing is that indoor climbing makes you stronger for rock climbing.
Are you able to do a one-arm pull-up? How about a single finger?
Yes, I can do 4 or 5, not many more, with one arm and one finger, more or less the same.
How much of the success as a pro climber is due to show and how much due to actual climbing skill?
The show and the visibility now is important but for me the most important is your real skill for climbing, because without skill there is no show.
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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?
It depends on each person and their natural talent, but with enough training everybody can go very far.
How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals / targets you are working towards in climbing and in life?
For me it is very important to have many goals in my life and of course in rock climbing.
My current goal is to be able to continue enjoying climbing for many more years.
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?
Sometimes I get bored if I always do the same thing, so I change my goal to get motivated again.
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Future of climbing
Is there anything you would like to change about the current developments in climbing?
Many things, but it is the community whom has to make a reflection about the future of the climbing, at the end we have to adapt to the changes...
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 don't see big changes in the future of climbing, the changes will be at the same pace as the rest of the things in the world. I see my future role sharing my expertise and of course climbing a lot.