Focus: Florian Harrasser

NAME: Florian Harrasser

BASED IN: Ehrenburg, Southtyrol (Italy)

ATHLETE IN: climbing, ice-climbing, first ascents, alpine climbing

MAIN FIELD: alpine climbing

MOTTO: live your life to the fullest and don’t regret any decisions you made.

WHY DID YOU START CLIMBING? WHAT OR WHO ATTRACTED YOU TO THE SPORT? The reason I started climbing is the beauty of nature, the impressive walls and mountains and the love to spend time outdoors. There is just the mountain, the way up and you. HOW MUCH TIME WEEK DO YOU DEDICATE TO CLIMBING? It really depends which projects I have in mind, if I have some really hard and also more dangerous adventures planed, I normally spend three days of training in the gym for 3 hours or more and then I go two days out on rock or in the mountains for the preparation. Normally I try to do also nonspecific climbing training which is additional to this plan. HAVE YOU HAD ANY DISCOURAGEMENTS? HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THEM? Like mostly everyone who starts climbing has to deal with the fear of falling and this is one of the first steps you have to learn and how to fall, to not hurt yourself. The best thing you can do is to take a friend who you really trust and to try out some falls until it is something you do not worry about. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR NEWBIES? The best advice is to start with a course to learn the essentials like belaying and the safety aspect of climbing. After this I can just say do what you love and learning by doing, do not risk to much and have fun! WHY IS CLIMBING IMPORTANT TO YOU? WHY DO YOU LIKE IT? Climbing is a part of my life since I touched the first hold because I liked the moves, I liked to feel the power of your own and the power of your mind. Mountains are the place where I feel alive and where I feel small as long as I am on the ground, then I have the challenge to accomplish and when I stay on top, I feel very strong and big, and that is the same game as life and career is. Climbing teaches me in life. DO YOU CLIMB WITH MOSTLY MEN? IN GENERAL, ARE THERE MORE MALE CLIMBERS THAN FEMALES? I mostly climb with Men, because in this sport are more men than women, but due the extreme growth of this sport you can notice

that luckily more women start with it. WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CLIMBING TRIP? One of the most memorable adventures I had in the mountains was the winter ascent of Cima West of Tre cime di lavaredo which was a difficult route up the north face where we had to deal with much snow and cold temperatures. But the harder it is the better

story to tell about. BESIDES PHYSICAL FITNESS, HOW DOES CLIMBING BENEFIT YOU? One big reason why climbing is such a big chapter in my life is because it is a Lifestyle not just a sport, you learn to life for it. It benefits you also in difficult times because the start of a climb is like a reset button in your mind, you can totally focus on the next

move and the next hold and do not think on other things.