20 Questions
Describe your climbing background:
My older brother Simon started climbing in our home area. Luckily he needed a partner and that’s how I came into the game. After hanging around for quite, the passion came and I changed to the sharp end.

Was there a big breakthrough or defining moment for you?
At the age of 12, I went climbing with a friend. I was really scared of the wide distances between the bolts and so I didn’t see the top of routes very often. But that day it just happened, I tried a 7c without fear but with full concentration and I flashed the route!

Describe a memorable climbing experience when things got out of hand:
In October, last year, I was in the Yosemite. While climbing the Salàthe I made a mistake, which I can still feel the scar from on my head: On the 23rd pitch, I fell and landed headfirst on a ledge. But due to a bit of luck, I ate pasta in Camp 4 the same night.

What are you up to when you’re not climbing?
Sking, telemarking, surfing and partying

Any training advice or suggestions?
Take care of your fingers – you will need them for climbing!

How does fear affect your climbing?
Fear blocks your vision and makes me act like I’m blindfolded so you should never let it get to this point. A climber should never feel fear only respect.

Care to comment on: pre-clipping more than one draw on sport routes or pre-placed gear on trad routes, chipping/comfortizing holds, glue vs. no glue?
Pre-clipping is OK when you’re climbing redpoint and when the draw is clipped from the ground up. The US climbers should get a lot of praise because they climb a very clean style.
Chipping is for losers.
Gluing holds is for f**king losers.

Care to comment on: heel spurs, leashes vs. leashless, falling on ice, impact of drytooling?
I have climbed ice and mixed routes leashless for the past three years. Eliminating heel spurs pushes the ice/mixed climbing into new dimensions and ice climbing competitions would certainly be more dynamic and more interesting.

What are your future plans or goals in climbing?
Climbing and having fun.