SPEAKER: Mr Thomas Bubendorfer
Europe's foremost extreme clim

Thomas Bubendorfer is one of the world’s foremost solo climbers. There are only few men in the world who live up to this extreme challenge. Unlike conventional climbers, a free solo climber uses neither ropes nor any other protection. In overhanging rock and ice faces up to ten thousand feet high his life depends entirely on his dedication, focus, and his ability to think and make decisions under extreme pressure: the slightest mistake is lethal.

Solo climbing is the ultimate adventure.

In 1981, after military service, the Austrian-born Thomas Bubendorfer moved to Florence, Italy, to study Italian and history of art. At the age of 19 he became a professional climber who supported himself by writing articles for magazines and winning his two first sponsorships in Italy and Germany.

Thomas shares his intense experiences and insights every year with audiences in the corporate world, and can speak four languages:- German, French, Italian and English.

As he says “There is only one truth. What is true for a solo mountain climber -the attitudes that help him to overcome adversity, anxiety and solitude and to deal with ever increasing risk, decision taking under pressure, crisis and zillions of other de-motivating factors - cannot be false for people in any other profession”.

Thomas Bubendorfer emphasizes that man, the individual, is at the centre of all his thinking. However, he does not deny the importance of the team. “Teamwork is vital. Trust and communication among team members are of the essence. Nobody can excel and achieve true fulfillment all by himself. Still, it’s not the team and the company you’re working for that are running your show. It’s you! Your success and your happiness depend primarily on yourself: on your positive attitude, your self-motivation, your commitment, your self-confidence, which is based on your achievements and excellence in your chosen area of expertise!”