Alexander Huber – Alpine world class
Worldwide top performances in mountain sport. No other mountain climbing party characterizes modern Alpinism as much as the »Huberbuam«. Alexander and Thomas are distinguished by the most difficult first ascents in sport and Alpine rock climbing. Two exceptional talents, who today live as professional mountain climbers.
At home in the mountains
Alexander (born in 1968) was taken to the mountains by his father at a young age. By twelve years old, he had already climbed his first four-thousand-metre peak. And the young Alexander was soon noticed because of repeat ascents and first ascents in the Alps. Then in 1992 came a sensation; Alex climbed »Om«, the second route in the world with the sheer difficulty rating of eleven. The first red-point climb of the »Salathé« on El Capitan in California’s Yosemite Valley in 1995 helped him to make his conclusive international breakthrough.
Big wall undertaking
In Yosemite, the Huberbuam also realised numerous first free ascents and first ascents. Alex climbed the »El Nino« (X–) route with his brother in 1998, the first free ascent of the »North American Wall«. And in 2003, he succeeded, again with Thomas, in completing the first red-point climb of the »Zodiac« (X+) on El Capitan. Here they both also broke the speed record in 2004, with a time of 1:51.34 hours. And it was not to be a one-off achievement; in 2007 they broke the speed record on the »Nose«: a one-thousand-metre high granite wall in 2:45.45 hours! In addition, Alexander had also transferred his climbing abilities to more extreme environments. In 1997, he made a successful first ascent of the west face of Latok II in the Himalayas, together with his brother, Conrad Anker and Toni Gutsch.
Alpine highlights
In winter 2000, the qualified mountain guide succeeded with a stroke of genius in the Dolomites. In a solo ascent, he climbed »Bellavista« (IX-/A4) and the following year he even free climbed the huge roof. Thus, the »Bellavista« (XI–) became the first Alpine eleven and indeed is one of the most demanding Alpine rock climbs of all today. In 2002, the spectacular free solo ascent of the Diretissima on the north face of the Große Zinne (VIII+). And finally, in 2007, he climbed the mighty roof overhang on the north face of the Westliche Zinne with his PanAroma (XI–) route.
Most recently seen in ...
Last year, Alexander achieved another »highlight«, this time in the Mont-Blanc massif. Via the »Voie de Suisse« (VII+) he free climbed alone up to the Grand Capucin and climbed down again via the same route! In late autumn of the same year, Alex, together with his brother and Stephan Siegrist, was then travelling around Antarctica; there he successfully completed three new routes under the toughest conditions: »Eiszeit« (VII+, A4), »Skywalk« (VII–) and »Sound of Silence« (VIII–, A2).
