Alexander Huber in conversation | Life, the mountains & the love of music

If you look up the word "all-rounder" in the dictionary, you'll find Alexander Huber. Mountaineering, alpine climbing, sport climbing, ice climbing, free soloing, and even playing the piano – all no problem for the 58-year-old extreme athlete and physicist, who had to undergo brain tumor surgery in 2024. We talk to him about his fight to regain his former strength, his beginnings in climbing, and whether you can give piano concerts with climbing hands.

In conversation with professional climber Alexander Huber

Lacrux: The most important question right at the start: How are you today?

Alexander: I would say I'm very satisfied, considering the circumstances. However, I would also say that it's not quite perfect yet. But knowing there's room for improvement is always a good thing.

Lacrux: You got back into it quickly after your tumor surgery last year, trained hard, and were already able to climb difficult routes again. Where do you stand today?

Alexander: That was a major turning point after my brain surgery. For three months after the procedure, I couldn't do anything at all, and of course, you lose a lot during that time. Things aren't quite the same as they were before the operation. But I'm still very content, especially when I see other people whose lives have ended with no future at all; then, in comparison, everything is good for me. Considering the circumstances, I'm doing very well.

Lacrux: Regarding mountaineering: If anyone has proven themselves a true all-rounder throughout their career, it's you. Where did it all begin?

Alexander: Our parents took us to the mountains when we were just little kids. I can still remember when our father took us to our first 4000-meter peak, the Allalinhorn. I was 11 years old and, of course, deeply impressed by the sheer scale of these mountains. And when I stood at the very top, in the middle of the icy glacial wilderness, I already knew I wanted to experience more of these real adventures. We only discovered the vertical world of sport climbing much later, when I was already 15. At that age, many people are already climbing grade 11 routes these days, but we were just beginning to grasp climbing as a sport. Great idols like Wolfgang Güllich, Kurt Albert, and Reinhard Karl opened our eyes in that respect, and we devoured the few articles and pieces of information that were available about them back then. Our biggest dream was to be able to climb as difficult routes as they did; that's what drove us.

Lacrux: What happened after these beginnings?

Alexander: Initially, I focused on lead climbing and sport climbing. But when I realized I was really competitive and among the best, I knew I couldn't give up mountaineering in the long run. And so, I always tried to combine challenging climbing with the cold, thin air of high altitudes. Like on Latok II, for example, where in 1997 we essentially climbed a big wall like El Capitan, starting at the summit of Denali. That's what drove us; it hadn't been explored in that way before, it was something new, and that's always fascinated us.

Lacrux: Which successes do you look back on most fondly?

Alexander: There's a whole host of different experiences, of course. One highlight was being able to follow in Wolfgang Güllich's footsteps in lead climbing by being the first person to climb an upper 11th grade route. That's when you realize you're a pioneer and try to carry on what your predecessors have done. A real turning point came in 1995, when I'd left those successes somewhat behind and decided I wanted to climb big walls. So I went to Yosemite Valley to free climb. At that time, there were practically no free climbers there. But it was a huge success.
The next one was Latok II in 1997. Climbing a 7000-meter peak with such an incredibly steep wall – nothing even remotely resembling that had been done before us. Aside from that, there are of course a ton of other highlights. The free solo Direttissima on the Cima Grande, for example, or the speed record on El Capitan. The record itself isn't anything special; we simply moved a bit faster than our predecessors. If you want to focus on one particular aspect of the record, it's that we were the only non-American team to achieve it. And I think that will remain the case.

Lacrux: Is there an aspect of mountaineering that you've never been able to warm to?

Alexander: What I've never been able to reconcile myself to is the mass tourism surrounding seemingly major sporting challenges. What goes on on the 8.000-meter peaks is absolutely insane. Although, of course, I understand the Sherpas who, for example, want to earn their living on Mount Everest. It's no different here in the Alps. There, too, the people who live in the mountains want to live off their mountains. And when a cable car is built in the Alps, the infrastructure on Mount Everest is developed so that anyone who offers $100.000 can reach the summit. These are the typical heroes of cocktail parties, standing on some 50th-floor floor in New York and saying, "I made it to the top of the world!" That has a certain charm that holds absolutely no relevance for us as genuine mountaineers.

Lacrux: Your path to the mountains was shaped by the tours you took with your father and brother. Do you also go to the mountains with your children? What's your approach?

Alexander: Of course, mountaineering, and especially climbing, is a big part of our family life. We all enjoy climbing together. You can easily see who sticks with it and puts the same passion into it that I did. My daughter, Anna, for example, is a very motivated climber. She goes on climbing trips with her group and sees the vast possibilities that climbing offers. When I see what she's discovering and how much fun she's having, it's exactly the same as it was for me. So much has changed in climbing and mountaineering, but some things just stay the same.

Lacrux: A completely different topic: music. You grew up in a very musical family. Your brother sings in a band. What instrument do you play?

Alexander: I learned piano until I was about 15. Then, because of climbing, it lay dormant for decades. After my brain surgery, however, I had a piano available again and, of course, plenty of time to practice. At that time, it was the best therapy. Initially, I didn't believe I could even play the piano with my climbing fingers, but I can. There was also a special motivation: I wanted to learn a piano concerto with string accompaniment that I had seen at a conference in the early 2000s. It had impressed me immensely. We succeeded, and we... the concert Performed at a house concert last year.

Lacrux: You also give lectures. Could you briefly summarize for our readers why they should attend your lectures?

Alexander: Because you hear exciting stories about mountaineering. The presentations show just how diverse the activities are that you can do in the mountains. I've also found that even people who have absolutely no interest in mountaineering open their eyes during the presentations and feel thoroughly entertained. For me, there's no better job than giving a presentation for people who afterwards say, "Wow, we were able to see that!" That's the best feedback you can get, and that's why I enjoy doing it so much.

Here's the link to the interview on YouTube:

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• “There are moments of doubt” – Alexander Huber on free solo climbing

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Credits: Cover image: Lacrux