After a long time, I am happy to welcome you back to my website. A lot has happened since my last post in the summer of 2019 when I summited Broad Peak, my sixth 8000m peak. We had the COVID-19 pandemic which kept me with my amazing family at my Bavarian home in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for one year; I had a few missions in Ukraine for the UN and Swiss Humanitarian Aid – before and during the current Russian aggression against this beautiful country; Swiss Humanitarian Aid also sent me to Lesbos when the refugee camp in Moria was on fire in September 2020; I went on a couple of beautiful bike trips with my sister Christiane; I welcomed Clarissa – my new hip – to my body in December 2021; I attempted Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest peak in the world, in May 2022 where I reached Camp 3 at 7,300m and then ran out of steam; and I have written a book about me encounters with people across the world, the mountaineering scene in Nepal, the new generation of Sherpas and of course my life and work with Miss Elizabeth Hawley, the Himalayan archivist who was my mentor and boss for the Himalayan Database. It is called “I have a bike in Kathmandu – my life with the 8000ers” and will be available in German only (sorry) from mid-February.
Currently, I am in Garmisch-Partenkirchen but I will be back in Nepal for the spring mountaineering season in April this year. So watch the space and check out my website for more frequent news about expeditions, humanitarian work or anything else that could be of interest.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Kim Meusel for designing this new website for me. She did a wonderful job and I am sure it was not always easy to fulfil all my wishes. The initial website, which was launched in 2009 – just before I climbed Mount Everest – was designed by my good friend Richard Bull without me actually asking him. I remember being in New Zealand with a few friends, when I received this website address from Richard, who simply wrote “Here is your website. Now fill it!” I promise, I will do my best!
