Klaus is 64 years old when he takes part in the ALPIN8 Everesting.
He is one of the five oldest participants and is surprised “how many young people are at the start here”.
He is sure that his age and his life experience have played a big part in why reaching the 8848 meters of altitude was a matter of course for him, something he never doubted.
But right from the start.
Klaus comes from Carinthia and is not only unusually sporty for his age.
Whether as a successful sled dog athlete (former world champion and reigning vice world champion), in long-distance races on foot through the Sahara or with 24 hours on his bike – there is little that Klaus has not yet done.
He has also done an Everesting on a racing bike before.
“These challenges are like an addiction, you have to keep going!”
From sled dog sport to Everesting
“I always have one or two more events planned so that I don’t fall into a hole after a challenge.”
After his last sled dog race in over 20 years, which he successfully finished as runner-up in the winter of 2024, Klaus was happy to have the next goal right in front of him: Everesting with ALPIN8.
“I put the sled in the corner and took out my running shoes. It wasn’t easy to give up sled dog sport, but having a new task motivated me not to let myself go, but to keep training.”
Klaus comes across as a man who has been shaped by his extreme experiences. His wealth of experience from countless events has shown him what he is capable of and that no challenge is too great, no matter how crazy it may sound. He says of his friends and acquaintances that “they have long since stopped shaking their heads” when he comes up with the next crazy idea. Over time, he has become accustomed to enjoying his successes alone. At most, there are people in the cycling club who can understand how long 600 kilometers are on a racing bike, or even 8848 meters of altitude on foot.
Meet people who don’t ask “Why?” in disbelief
This makes it all the nicer for Klaus to meet like-minded people at sporting events. People to whom he doesn’t have to explain himself, who don’t look at him askance, who don’t ask him why. Nevertheless, Klaus also enjoys running alone for the most part at ALPIN8. With himself and his thoughts. “Running for a long time is like meditation, it brings you closer to yourself.” And if you do talk to someone for a minute or two, it’s a powerful experience on this climb, as you’re usually busy with yourself.
Klaus knows himself and knows how his body and mind react to difficult challenges.
He knows exactly which shoes and socks he needs to avoid getting blisters, how he needs to manage his time to avoid tiring and what he needs to eat to provide his body with the necessary nutrients.
The most important thing is to listen to yourself: “If my body tells me it needs a schnitzel, then I need a schnitzel,” he grins.
And being prepared for pain in the back, knees or feet also helps enormously.
If you expect something to hurt you at some point, you can deal with it better than if you haven’t considered the possibility.
“Somehow it always goes on!”
According to Klaus, it is the same with achieving goals: For him, it is essential to visualize the moment of crossing the finish line in advance.
Imagining how it will feel to cross the finish line after 8848 meters of altitude and many hours on the mountain.
Prepare yourself mentally and motivate yourself with a positive image in your head.
But while he is out on the course, he thinks little of the ultimate goal of 8848 meters in altitude.
In these moments, it is more important not to think too far into the future, because otherwise the challenge seems impossible.
It’s better to go step by step and think from one bend to the next.
“Somehow it always goes on!”
As it rains and thundersnows, Klaus decides to take a break in the car.
He wraps himself up warm in blankets, takes a nap and actually wants to get back on the road in time for the end of the storm.
But when the alarm clock rings, he stays in bed for a while because there is still lightning outside.
“Thunderstorms are no joke, so I’m very careful.”
When he gets up and gets out of the car, he realizes that the supposed thunderstorm lightning is coming from the camera of a photographer who is taking pictures of the participants during their night-time ascent.
“I was annoyed for a moment, I could have started walking again half an hour ago. But what the heck!”
And after a few minutes, Klaus is back in his flow and continues his persistent climb up the mountain.
When Klaus arrives at the finish line after around 28 hours, he is happy but not overwhelmed. He was simply certain that he would complete the Everesting challenge. He is aware that there is always the possibility of failure, but there was never a moment when he had to consider this option. And so the moment he crosses the finish line feels like a matter of course for him – because of all his experience, he expected nothing less than his success.
“9000 meters of altitude are just 9000 meters of altitude”
When asked whether he found Everesting easier on foot or on his bike, he has a clear answer: “Both are hard. 9,000 meters of altitude are, after all, 9,000 meters of altitude.” But the advantage of the ALPIN8 format on foot is that you can take a break in the gondola on the way down and rest, while on the bike you can race down the mountain at 60-70 km/h with full concentration.
Finally, the only remaining question was whether Klaus would do another Everesting. Here, too, he gave a clear answer: that he would tackle the Palüd again next year, as there was still a small amount to be done (to complete it in 24 hours).
