PHYSICIST AND PROFESSIONAL ALPINIST

Alexander Huber, who is a UIAGM mountain guide, decided to abandon his scientific career in 1998 and to pursue an unknown path in the mountains instead.

All facets of mountaineering and rock climbing all over the world, that is his greatest passion, and together with his brother Thomas, they form one of the most successful rope parties of our time.

5.15a sport climbs, Bellavista, the first multi-pitch climb on an alpine wall with difficulties of 5.14b, new free routes and speed records on El Capitan in Yosemite, the first free ascent of the legendary Eternal Flame on Nameless Tower, the first ascent of the west face of Latok II (7.108m) and the free solo ascent of the Direttissima on Cima Grande are the most important events of his climbing life.

Moreover, like his brother Thomas, Alexander is a successful public speaker and author. Apart from six books that were translated in four languages, he has held more than 1000 slideshows that inspire the audience world wide. Because of their alpine successes, but also because of the numerous articles and covers that featured them, the brothers are among the most successful mountaineers today.

They have not only reached an audience of climbers, but also a more general public. They were featured in numerous articles in famous German magazines and newspapers, like the Spiegel, the Stern, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . They also made appearances in popular TV programs like TV Total, Mittagsmagazin, or Markus Lanz.

In 2007, the Film To the Limit had its theatrical release. It was awarded with the Bavarian Film Award and the German Camera Award. In July 2008, Thomas and Alexander were awarded the Bavarian Sports Award.

PUSHING THE LIMITS IN THE MOUNTAINS

Alexander is born on December 30, 1968, in Trostberg in Bavaria. He is the second of three children of Thomas and Maria Huber. From a young age, their parents take the children to the mountains, and it is mainly their dad, who is known in the climbing scene for fast and early ascents of classics such as the Droites North Face, that is responsible for the extreme alpinism they pursue.

With their dad, they make several trips to the Western Alps, and summit no less than 30 four-thousanders. From age 15 on, he mostly climbs with his brother Thomas, laying the foundation for their further development as the Huberbuam. The UIAGM mountain guide and physics graduate is among the most successful and well-rounded alpinists in the world.

Alexander first becomes better known when he climbs extremely hard sport routes. He is the first climber to achieve the grade of 5.15a by doing the first ascents of Weisse Rose and Open Air (9a+/XI+/5.15a). Moreover he does the first redpoint ascent of the legendary Salathé Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. He has since also freed the Zodiac and established five more free routes on El Cap, and is considered one of the leading figures of the free climbing movement on big walls.

In 1997, he leads an expedition to the Karakoram mountains where they achieve the first ascent of the west face of Latok II (7.108m). Alexander and his team are the first to take big wall climbing strategies to such altitudes, and thus to the highest peaks of the world. A year later, he summits Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain on Earth. He has also been on top of famous peaks like Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy in Patagonia.

In late 2008, the Huberbuam summit the Ulvetanna, the hardest mountain in Antarctica; and by doing the first ascent of the west face of Holtanna, they also put up the hardest route on the frozen continent. Other highlights of their career are the first free ascent of Eternal Flame on Nameless Tower (6251m) in August 2009, and a team free ascent of the Bavarian Direct (5.13c) on Mount Asgard in 2012.

In Winter 2000, he solos the first ascent of a route that climbs the huge stepped roof on the north face of Cima Ovest, and a year later, he redpoints the same route, Bellavista (XI-/5.14b), thereby creating a route in a league with the hardest big wall rock climbs in the world.. He continues establishing similar routes: Panaroma (XI-/5.14b) through the same roof in 2007, and in 2012, Nirwana (5.14c/XI-) on the Sonnwendwand at the Lofer Alm.

It is also on Tre Cime that Alexander free solos the notoriously loose Direttissima (5.12a/VIII+) on Cima Grande, and two years later, he pushes the limits yet again with a ropeless ascent of Kommunist (5.14a/X+), the only route of its grade that has ever been free soloed. In 2008, he achieves the first free solo ascent of Grand Capucin, the most difficult summit of the Alps.

In the Mont-Blanc-Massif - the place where alpinism was born more than 300 years ago - some of the most attractive alpine climbing challenges are found even today. Alexander seeks and finds his own goals with a free solo ascent of the South Face of Dent du Géant and the first redpoint ascent of the Voie Petit (8b/5.13d) on Grand Capucin. The Voie Petit remains the hardest climb in the »Playground of Europe«.

Alexander and Thomas are extremely well-rounded alpinists, and this is what enables them to be one of the fastest parties in the world. The Huberbuam are currently holding the speed record on the Zodiac with a time of 1:51:34. This is the fastest time on any grade VI big wall on El Capitan. In 2007 and 2008 they held the record on the Nose, the most famous rock climb on Earth, with a time of 2:45:45.

Their attempts to break the record of the Nose were documented in the movie »To the Limit«.