Yannick Glatthard

The Swiss Yannick Glatthard was born on 14 January 1998 in Meiringen. And the beautiful Haslital has not let go of him to this day. Meiringen is the ideal base for Yannick to pursue his many passions, which include climbing, paragliding, hiking, skiing and mountaineering. It was clear very early on that Yannick would one day be drawn to the mountains.

At the age of 13, Yannick then tried ice climbing - which he also enjoyed very much. His competitive spirit soon came to the fore and he took part in various competitions around the world with great success. His enthusiasm for mountain sports remains unbroken to this day and Yannick is active on the mountain as much as possible, whether in summer or winter.

Yannick Glatthard,

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MOUNTAIN SPORTS AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE IT IN PARTICULAR?
"I first tried skiing at the age of two and discovered climbing when I was six. When I got older, at 13 to be precise, I tried ice climbing. I really enjoyed that too. What I like about mountain sports is that you can do something in every season, every season brings its own form of exercise."

Do you have a role model?
"My first climbing instructor. In my opinion, anyone can train children - but giving children so much joy on their way that they are still climbing 20 years later is not a matter of course."

HOW HAS SPORT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
"For me as a child, sport was a great opportunity to discover new people and places. It was exciting, everything was new and you could experience a lot. Today, sport has a lot more to do with mental challenges. You have to make decisions, sometimes at lightning speed. Through mountain sports, I became independent early on and learnt to take responsibility."

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR TOURS? IS THEREA SPECIAL RITUAL?
"I always had different rituals at the competitions. For example, I always wrote my goals on my gloves.

On big tours, I listen a lot to my gut feeling. Only a few people usually know about my projects, because as soon as there's a lot of hype about an upcoming project, I quickly feel uncomfortable."

WHAT DO YOU ALWAYS TAKE WITH YOU ON YOUR EXPEDITIONS OR TOURS? WHAT COULD YOU NEVER DO WITHOUT? MAYBE SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNUSUAL?
"Lowa footwear.

My girlfriend gave me a necklace with an ice axe for my birthday. The necklace goes with me everywhere and is my lucky charm."

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SPORTS SUCCESSES (e.g. IN COMPETITIONS, EXPEDITIONS, EVENTS)?
"In competition, it was definitely the three Junior World Champion titles and the World Cup victories in ice climbing.

In mixed climbing, I climbed the most difficult mixed route in America (Saphira M15) onesight in North America.

In alpinism there are several, as mentioned above, for example the crossing of the Zinnen or the "Best of Grimsel" project.

For me, however, sporting success also involves other things, such as coming home healthy. It's just as important to cancel a project if something isn't right."

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: WHICH PLACE SHOULD EVERYONE HAVE SEEN AT LEAST ONCE?
"The Engelhörner in the beautiful Haslital."