Alexander Huber is a German
physicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
,
climberClimbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
and
mountaineerMountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
. He lives in
TraunsteinTraunstein is a town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany, and is the administrative center of a district by the same name. It is situated at the heart of a region called Chiemgau, approximately 11 km east of Lake Chiemsee between Munich and Salzburg, 15 km north of the Alps, and...
.
When they were still young Alexander Huber and his brother
Thomas HuberThomas Huber , is a German climber and mountaineer. He lives in Berchtesgaden with his family. His brother and climbing partner is the German climber Alexander Huber....
were taken into the mountains by their father, Thomas Huber, himself a noted climber known for early fast ascents of now classic climbs. Together with his brother Thomas, he became interested in extreme alpine climbing.
Since 1992 Alexander Huber has been a state-certified mountain and skiing guide. He first studied physics, then became a full-time professional mountaineer in 1997 and is now one of the most successful climbers and mountaineers. While being an all-round climber, Alexander is most famous for his bold
free ascentsFree climbing is a type of rock climbing in which the climber uses only hands, feet and other parts of the body to ascend, employing ropes and forms of climbing protection to prevent falls only....
of big walls.
Notable climbs
- 1992 First Ascent of Om (5.14d/9a), Triangel / Bavaria
- 1994 First Ascent of Weisse Rose (5.14d/9a), Schleierwasserfall / Austria
- 1995 First Redpoint Ascent of the Salathé Wall (5.13b), El Capitan
El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith extends about from base to summit along its tallest face, and is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers.The formation was...
, Yosemite ValleyYosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
- 1996 First ascent of Open Air (5.15a/9a+), Schleierwasserfall / Austria, the most difficult sport route of its time. It was initially graded as 9a, but recently found its second ascent by Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra is a Czech rock climber. He also participates in lead climbing and bouldering competitions.-Biography:...
, who upgraded it to 9a+ trying to fit to the "new school" grading situation.
- 1997 Tsering Mosong, West Face of Latok
Latok I was first climbed in 1979 by a Japanese expedition led by Naoki Takada; the first summit party comprised Sin'e Matsumi, Tsuneo Shigehiro, Yu Watanabe, and they were followed three days later by Hideo Muto, Jun'ichi Oku, and Kota Endo...
II, 7108m, KarakoramThe Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
, VII 5.10c A3In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
, 2200 m: FA with Thomas HuberThomas Huber , is a German climber and mountaineer. He lives in Berchtesgaden with his family. His brother and climbing partner is the German climber Alexander Huber....
, Conrad AnkerConrad Anker is an American rock climber, mountaineer, and author famous for his challenging ascents in the high Himalaya and Antarctica. He is a member of The North Face climbing team and also works closely with Timex Expedition as brand ambassador...
and Toni Gutsch
- 1998 Cho Oyu (8201m), Himalaya, Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
- 1998 First Ascent of El Nino (5.13b), El Capitan, Yosemite
- 1998 First Ascent of Free Rider (5.12d), El Capitan, Yosemite
- 2000 First Ascent of Golden Gate (5.13a), El Capitan, Yosemite
- 2001 First Ascent of Bellavista
Bellavista is a well known rock climbing route at the Drei Zinnen in the Dolomites, Italy. It was first ascended by Alexander Huber solo during winter 2000 and graded 5.13b/X-/8a A4. One year later, Alexander managed to free climb the A4 passage and thus gave the new grade 5.14b/XI-/8c, the hardest...
, (5.14b/8c), Cima Ovest, DolomitesThe Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
, Italy
- 2001 First Ascent of El Corazon, (5.13b), El Capitan, Yosemite
- 2002 Free Solo Ascent of the Direttissima (500m, 5.12a) of Cima Grande, Dolomites, Italy
- 2002 Cerro Torre
Cerro Torre is one of the mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America. It is located in a region which is disputed between Argentina and Chile, west of Cerro Chalten . The peak is the highest in a four mountain chain: the other peaks are Torre Egger , Punta Herron, and Cerro...
, Cerro Standhardt and Fitz Roy in Patagonia
- 2003 First Redpoint Ascent of Free Zodiac (5.13d), El Capitan, Yosemite
- 2004 Free Solo Ascent of the Kommunist (5.14a), Austria
- 2004 Speed Record on the Zodiac, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA, USA in 1:51:34
- 2005 First Redpoint Ascent of Voie Petite (5.13d/8b) on Grand Capucin, Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
- 2006 First Ascent of Golden Eagle (5.11/A1), Aguja Desmochada, Patagonia
- 2006 Free Solo Ascent of the South Face (5.11a) of Dent du Géant (4013m), Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
- 2007 First Ascent of Pan Aroma (5.14b/8c), Cima Ovest, Dolomites, Italy
- 2007 Speed Record on the Nose
The Nose is one of the original technical climbing routes up El Capitan. Once considered impossible to climb, El Capitan is now the standard for big-wall climbing...
, El Capitan, Yosemite, CA, USA in 2:45:45, till 07/2008
- 2008 First Ascent of the Westface (5.11/A1) of "La Silla", Patagonia
- 2008 With an ascent of Torre Egger
Torre Egger is one of the mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America. It is located in a region which is disputed between Argentina and Chile, west of Cerro Chalten...
, Alexander finished the collection of the three Torres: Cerro Torre, Torre Egger and Cerro Standhardt, Patagonia
- 2008 First Ascent of Sansara and Feuertaufe, both 5.14a, two alpine multi-pitch climbs in the Tyrolean Alps
- 2008 First Free Solo Ascent of Grand Capucin (5.10), Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
- 2009 First Free Ascent with Thomas Huber
Thomas Huber , is a German climber and mountaineer. He lives in Berchtesgaden with his family. His brother and climbing partner is the German climber Alexander Huber....
of Eternal Flame, (5.13a), on Trango ("Nameless") Tower (6,239 m), Pakistan.
Quotation
Reinhold MessnerReinhold Messner is an Italian mountaineer and explorer from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol "whose astonishing feats on Everest and on peaks throughout the world have earned him the status of the greatest climber in history." He is renowned for making the first solo ascent of Mount Everest without...
about Huber:
Literature
- Alexander Huber und Thomas Huber: The Wall. BLV, 2000
- Alexander Huber: Yosemite. Ottobrunn : Bergverlag Rother
Bergverlag Rother is a German publisher with its headquarters in Oberhaching, Upper Bavaria. Since 1950 the company, that formerly went udern the name of Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, has published the Alpine Club Guides in cooperation with the German Alpine Club , the Austrian Alpine Club and the...
, 2002
- Alexander Huber und Willi Schwenkmeier: Drei Zinnen. Bergverlag Rother, 2003
Movies
- Am Limit released in 2007 about the Speed Record on the Nose.
- Center of the Universe Climbing im Yosemite
External links
- Official Website
- http://www.bergfieber.de/berge/bergsteiger/bios/huberalex.htm
- http://www.rother.de/autoren/Huber_Alexander
- http://www.climbandmore.com/climbing,1,0,1,climbers.html
- Pan Aroma 8c, Cima Ovest