Michael Wohlleben
Life is made of challenges and ambitious projects
- Country
Switzerland
Michael Wohlleben is one of a new generation of mountaineers known for their versatility, and is equally fond of technicality and speed. Not only an alpinist, climber and paraglider, “Michi” is also a mountain guide and the ultra-complete athlete.
Born in 1990, the young German made a name for himself by repeating the most challenging rock climbing routes at a very young age, progressing to grade 8 climbs from the age of 14. It’s no wonder he found himself on the north face of the Eiger... at just 17 years old.
Today, Michi is equally at home on grade 9 sport climbs and major mountain routes such as Silbergeier in the Swiss Rätikon mountains. It’s quite something to see him move up the frighteningly smooth slab of Bürser Platte in Austria. An extreme 8b+ route, and on chocks if you please. Terrifying!
Michi also likes to go fast. It’s not uncommon to see him running “fast and light” across the summits. This year, for example, he traversed the 70 km of the Wetterstein ridge.
Michi is also a great fan of winter climbs on remote peaks in the Swiss and Italian Alps, such as his recent ascent of Monte Agner in the Dolomites. To train he regularly practices dry-tooling, using his ice axe and crampons to move across the rock. He also opened the very first route rated M14. Called Pray for Power, this extreme route in Germany is definitely at the cutting edge of the sport.
Michi’s latest adventure was the first winter ascent of the Salbitschijen trilogy (Switzerland). An exploit among friends, as is often the case.
Other athlete
- Antoine Mesnage
