Jonas Utelli: «Lead is my thing, I love fighting and suffering»

In Innsbruck he climbed his first World Cup final and came in a strong 7th. On the rocks he skillfully climbs difficult routes up to 9a+. That wasn't always the case. As a young athlete, Jonas Utelli suffered from a growth plate fracture and was unable to climb for a whole year. Thanks to his environment, he got through the time well and was able to draw on it, as he himself says.

A contribution by Barbara Büschlen

Growing up in Thun, Jonas was born into climbing. He was born into a climbing family and lived with his family right next to the climbing hall for the first few years of his life. "I don't know anything other than climbing holidays, but I've had the opportunity to try out different sports.

As a boy, I was in a multi-sport performance group and mainly played team sports like football and floorball." From the age of 10, Jonas Utelli climbed regularly in the "Bergaffen" climbing group and at the age of 12, the young boy took part in his first climbing competition. "Late, as he himself describes it."  

At the age of 14, he was already a member of the Swiss junior national team and climbed his first 8a on the rock. Jonas doesn't remember which route it was. "For me, the routes on the rock are not as important as the competition. For me, rock climbing means balance and fun, but it is not associated with the same emotions as competitive climbing."

One year break from climbing 

While his training effort skyrocketed in his young competitive years, Jonas suffered a growth plate fracture on his right middle finger during winter training in 2018/2019. He was 15 years old at the time.

Hard, for a young, talented and focused climber with ambitions. "Even though everything seemed far away at the time, I had always had the goal of being at the top of the World Cup. Above all, I thought I had a good chance of being at the top of the juniors."

He regularly went out into nature with his father and "cleaned" bouldering blocks. "It just felt good to do something that I could associate with climbing. I wasn't allowed to hold on to any holds, but I regularly went slab climbing so I didn't lose the feeling."

Otherwise, he put his energy into strength and balance training in a disciplined manner and shared the excitement of his teammates. "The competitive emotions of the others helped me a lot to stay motivated and positive." The belief in him from the coach, the team and also his parents kept him going. 

Fortunately, Covid came…

Corona came at a convenient time for Jonas Utelli. The competitions were cancelled and he gained an extra year to get fit again. In the end, he came back stronger than ever. 

In 2021, he finished second at the Junior European Championships. A year later, he won the Junior European Championship title, making him the Swiss young hope in climbing. 

Olympic ticket – the dream for 2028

In the last two qualifying competitions for the Olympics, it was not quite enough for Jonas Utelli. He was all the more pleased to reach the final of the Lead World Cup in Innsbruck. "Lead is just my thing. I love fighting and suffering. In the qualifying competitions, I clearly failed in bouldering."

At just under 21 years old, he still has time. The 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles are definitely a clear goal. However, he is not yet sure whether he wants to invest much more in bouldering. "Maybe the rules will change again by then and we can finally win a medal in every single discipline," he hopes, smiling. In any case, he has a role model with whom he regularly trains. "I can measure myself against Sascha Lehmann."

Also strong in rock climbing

Although – or perhaps precisely because – climbing rocks has a different meaning for Jonas than competition, he regularly wins. Last summer he won No Fear of Beer (9a+) made a first ascent in the Gimmelwald climbing garden (Bernese Oberland). "Just what I like. A long route, actually a combination of "Oblivion" (9a) and "Schwarz Mönch" (9a)."

But he also dared to tackle an older and shorter route on the Grimsel Pass. The Elfe (8c+), which was first climbed by the Swiss bouldering pioneer Fred Nicole, was the first to do so. Jonas Utelli only needed one day to complete the climb.

There is another difference between rock and plastic for Jonas. In nature, he regularly screams during his climbs. In competitions, he rarely does this and certainly never so loudly. "In competitions, I tend to breathe consciously," he laughs. "I don't really know why I make a difference. But for me, screaming is either an expression of effort or a way of getting myself worked up."

After the World Cups in Chamonix and Briançon, he traveled directly to Ceüse. He is currently enjoying climbing with friends in the South of France. He completed his sports diploma last summer and was then selected for the elite sports recruit school. This enabled him to concentrate fully on climbing. In 2025, he plans to start studying natural sciences, sports or physics. The theory of gravity and leverage will therefore not only keep him busy on the wall in the future. 

In addition to his dream of the Olympics, Jonas Utelli hopes to never lose the joy of climbing. The playful, uncomplicated and shared exchange of solutions in competitive sport should not be missing in the future either. "Climbing has become very professional in recent years, but I hope that the carefree nature of this sport is not lost." 

That might interest you

• The two competition legends Schubert and Garnbret climb to gold in Innsbruck
• Petra Klingler and Julien Clémence are Swiss Bouldering Champions 2024

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Credits: Cover picture Barbara Bueschlen