Stories & Guides

On September 9, 1999, exactly 25 years ago, Mammut athlete Stephan Siegrist together with mountaineers Evelyne Binsack, Hansruedi Gertsch, and Ralf Dujmovits, climbed the 1,800-meter-high Eiger North Face. There would have been nothing particularly remarkable about this achievement had it not been that the two rope teams were accompanied by 13 cameras.

According to UNESCO, mountaineering or alpinism is “the art of climbing up summits and walls, [which] involves physical, technical and intellectual abilities”. While it may sound pretty straightforward on paper, mountaineering is in fact one of the most challenging and demanding sports out there. In-depth knowledge of the terrain, climbing skills, resistance to cold and endurance are just some of the requirements it takes to make it all the way to the top. Here, we’ll tell you what comes with being a full-blooded alpinist, including 6 tips to help you build up the physical fitness and technical know-how you need to conquer your first summit.

Why settle for one summit when you can climb ten in one single trip? Join mountain enthusiasts Magne Svare and Ole Martin Storlien as they make their way through the rugged terrain of Jotunheim National Park. Is this adventure reserved only for the daring? Watch now and find out!

Gary Ozeray fulfills his dream and combines mountaineering, trail running, and climbing into a 12-hour monster tour around Lake Annecy. On this alpine marathon, he is supported by his friends, who take it in turns to accompany him.

Four days on a steep face, at nearly 6000 meters and minus 20 degrees Celsius - not an experience most people would describe as wonderful. But Marek Holeček and Matěj Bernát are different. Follow them up Sura Peak and into the bars of Kathmandu.

On July the 22nd, 1871, Lucy Walker became the first woman to reach the summit of the Matterhorn. Climbing firmly against the grain, Lucy was undeterred by the stiff Victorian attitude of the day—and at a time when a woman’s place was still seen as firmly in the home, she made it to the top of the 4,478 metre peak in style, fuelled by a diet of champagne and sponge cake.

“You know, there's a certain amount of sacrifice and vulnerability that come with being as visible as I am,” says Erin Parisi. “But that message needs to get out: we need to create the bridges for trans people to see that they can find their way to adventure.” Parisi still baulks at the title of advocate. But in overcoming more than her fair share of the inherent fears, self-doubt and apprehension any of us face in speaking out, Parisi has risen above it all in the mission to make the outdoors a space for all.

When Nico Hojac was 15 years old, he went on a language exchange to Val Ferret. But instead of learning French, he discovered his passion for the mountains. As we traverse the Konkordiaplatz glacier roped together, Nico guides us with ease; his experience, knowledge and devotion to the mountains obvious. Resting at a safe point on our route, Nico tells us how his sport and profession are at risk from climate change.

After summiting the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau at record speed, Nico Hojac and Adrian Zurbrügg talk about time and their limits in mountaineering.

Three decades after the first ascent, alpinist Stephan Siegrist leads an expedition to retrace the steps of the climbers who first topped the classic Swiss ice route Crack Baby (IV WI6; 350m).

Alpinist Stephan Siegrist shares the story of his late mentor, the widely celebrated and colorful big-wall climber Xaver Bongard, and the moving encounter with this extraordinary character that inspired a life lived on the wild side.