Vertical Arena 2018

Lukas Furtenbach joined the Vertical Arena in 2018. The climber from Innsbruck made his name with his “Everest Flash Expeditions“, where well-off customers can climb this highest mountain in the world in the shortest possible time using bottled oxygen. His style is highly controversial in the scene. Furtenbach explained the pros and cons of his style. In the subsequent discussion on the subject of “masses in the mountains” Furtenbach pointed out that his style only appeals to a few customers and that it is therefore not a mass product. Qualitative target group segmentation as a recipe for success.

Steve House is an example of a quintessential alpine purist. His motto: „The simpler you make things, the richer the experience becomes“. The US American has an impressive list of routes and first ascents worldwide from Alaska, Canada to Pakistan to his name. He became known worldwide as an extreme alpinist with his ascent of the Rupal flank on the Nanga Parbat together with Vince Anderson in September 2005. Steve received the Piolet d`Or for his alpine achievements and joined the Vertical Arena in Sesto in 2017. Steve’s modesty and calm recall Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s quote: “Mountains are silent masters and make for quiet students.”

During her visit to Sesto Ines Papert talked about the remoteness of her expedition to Patagonia. On Torres del Paine she successfully repeated the route “Riders on the Storm” together with the New Zealand climber Mayan-Smith Gobat. The 45-year-old exceptional German athlete and mother of a son became known as multiple ice climbing world champion and has for many years been living her dream of professional climbing and mountaineering.

In 2018 Heinz Grill was a guest at the Vertical Arena in Sesto, where he gave the audience an insight into his world of spiritual climbing, his rhythmic movements and the equally purist style in all he does. His talk was spontaneous and direct. Without preparation or the aid of images, he powerfully explained his activities. With his precise words alone, Heinz Grill took his audience with him into his world of climbing. This included his first ascents in the Sarca Valley near Arco, where he has been particularly active in recent years, and his world as a yoga master and teacher. A refreshingly different talk by an ascetic and spiritually reflected man of the mountains.