Kristoffer Szilas

I was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on July 7th 1982. I've been a passionate climber since my first altitude experience on Kilimanjaro at age 16. I had to dig really deep, because I wasn't feeling well from the altitude, but I summited (as the only person in our group) just as the first rays of the sun hit the mountain. It was a very emotional experience and I instantly knew that I was going to persue this experience for the rest of my life. The feeling of overcoming yourself physically and mentally in the most beautiful environment you can possibly imagine is what alpine climbing is all about. Big mixed routes in alpine style is what qualifies as 'real' climbing for me.

After my trip to Kilimanjaro I started to read a lot of climbing literature and quickly realised that I would have to leash my desire to climb the big mountains until I had the technical and mental experience to climb the most serious climbs. I promised myself that I would train for the next ten years to be able to fulfil my dream of climbing the classic alpine routes of the world.
After having climbed 5.11 trad, A3 aid, WI6+ ice and M9+ mixed I was ready to do 'real' climbs such as North Face of the Eiger, Compressor route on Cerro Torre and Cassin Ridge on Denali.
What for me defines a 'real' climb is a technically hard alpine route with an interesting history and high level of commitment, but most importantly it should be something that you can only achieve by spending time and effort to work your way up to the task (as well as having some talent). Bottom line: something that you just can't buy for money like Everest or "The Seven Summits".