Thomas Huber (born 18 November 1966) is a German
rock climber (and especially
big wall climbing) and
mountaineer (and especially
alpine climbing). He lives in
Berchtesgaden with his family. His brother and regular climbing partner is
Alexander Huber, and the two are called "Huberbuam" (Huberboys) in the Bavarian dialect; they were the subject of the 2007 film
To the Limit. In 2001, Huber won the 10th
Piolet d'Or award with Iwan Wolf for their ascent of the direct north pillar of
Shivling.
Early life and education
Thomas Huber was born 18 November 1966, in
Palling,
Bavaria as the first child of Thomas and Maria Huber.[1]
His father was a climber known for early speed ascents of now classic climbs. He took him and his brother
Alexander Huber, into the mountains. He has been climbing since he was 10 years old. In early April 1980, at 13 years of age, his father took them to climb their first 4000m peak, the
Allalinhorn.[1] In 1982, he climbed the Rebitsch Crack 5.10/A0 on the Fleischbankpfeiler in the
Wilder Kaiser with the youth climbing team.[1]
In 1983, he and his brother spent their first climbing vacation without their father.[1] They started at the little village of
Ellmau, and spent a week at the Gaudeamushütte in the Wilder Kaiser to pursue routes on the east face of Karlspitze or the Bauernpredigtstuhl.[1] Towards the end of the holidays, they went for their first ascent, starting out at the
Reiter Alpe for the
Wagendrischelhorn south face. Their route was named Rauhnachtstanz, 5.10.[1]
Career
Since 1992 Huber has been a state-certified mountain and skiing guide. He is most famous for climbing big walls in the
Himalaya.[2]
In July 2016, Huber had a sixteen-meter free fall while being filmed at a wall on the Brendlberg in the vicinity of Berchtesgaden and suffered a skull fracture;[5] In August 2016 he was able to go on the next expedition.[6]
Personal life
Huber lives in
Berchtesgaden with his wife and three children.
In 2011, he was diagnosed with a kidney tumor, which was removed and turned out to be benign. For two months afterwards he felt weakened.[7]