EXTREME ALPINIST - Max Berger
Max Berger gets dialed in.
"I think I was ready the last thirty years for this kind of thing. But when I'm there, I want to be really prepared."
- Max Berger
As a professional alpinist, Max Berger has been climbing for most of his life. He’s had many notable achievements including the first alpine-style ascent of the north ridge on Ama Dablam, but if you ever have the chance to talk with him, you’ll quickly learn that it’s not the glory or headlines that drive him. So what gets him out of his sleeping bag at 3 am in -30-degree temperatures? It’s a passion for adventure and friendship, and the freedom of the climb that keeps him coming back.
Max is currently training for one of his biggest feats yet – K2 and Broad Peak. Guided by his purist principles, he’ll be climbing his way to the summit – suffering through harsh, windy conditions with ice and snow at high altitude – all without bottled oxygen. At 8,611m, K2 is the second highest and most difficult 8,000m peak. Broad Peak, the 12thhighest mountain in the world, is 8,047m. When Max reaches the top, he plans to paraglide off the peak.
“In high altitude, you always have a lot of wind which is not good if you want to take off with a paraglider. But if I have the chance, it will be incredible.”
To reach the top you need focus, and there’s no room for mistakes. “You have to stay in shape when basecamp is at 5,000 meters. You need to train and do a lot of basic endurance. I could go there without any training, but the better you feel and the better in shape, and the safer you are.”
For an expedition of this magnitude, the gear can never be an after-thought. The unique nature of each expedition, time of year, terrain, possible weather conditions and of course the objective, all play a role in the gear choices. There is definitely no copy-paste in this business, but Max's years of experience on countless expeditions help him to make these decisions wisely. In this trip to K2 and Broad Peak, Max's target of flying from each peak to base camp adds another complex aspect to his gear strategy, where weight needs to remain a top priority.
Stay tuned for more on Max’s expedition to K2 and Broad Peak and follow his journey to the summit.
See Max's Climb To Fly Journey