Details

Andy Holzer

Blind Mountaineer I Extreme Sports Enthusiast

Who am I

Holzer was born blind – but still masters difficult climbing routes. His motto: Seeing is overrated. At the age of 9, his parents took him to a “real” mountain, the Spitzkofel in Eastern Tirol. Ever since that time, Andy Holzer developed a huge passion for mountaineering.

His current project is to climb the seven highest peaks of the continents, the “Seven Summits” of which to date he has achieved six.

Holzer says if one of the five senses does not work, the other four have to be more precise. Holzer orientates himself on the sound of the footsteps of his fellow hikers and emits certain sounds to detect the echo, to define his environment. If Holzer is hanging on a cliff, he sometimes throws a hand full of sand out. "Every single grain that bounces on somewhere reflects a sound and I can calculate distance and height difference. So I can create a picture of my environment that has as many pixels as I have thrown sand," said the Austrian.

Based on this passion, Andy Holzer does first ascents of climbing routes, ski touring, and expeditions and is about to achieve his dream of climbing the seven highest peaks of the continents. In 2007 he was the winner of Life Award in the category Sports.

Andy Holzer (as of 2012) has summited six of the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of each of the seven continents climbed.

In 1994, Holzer led the first major climb, the direct ascent of the Laserz-West edge (knacker crack), the south ramp of the Red Tower or the Alps diamond fireplace in the Lienz Dolomites by. A year later came the ascent of the Ortler. Holzer in 1997 rose for the first time the north face of high rebuke in the Lienz. The Dolomites, the third highest in the wall with its 1300 meters wall height Eastern Alps.

In the summer of 2004

The team of South Tyrol today produced a film about Holzer on the ascent of the Yellow edge (South Rim, Spigolo Giallo). On August 15, 2004, Holzer climbed in just nine hours the north wall of the Cima Grande as the first blind person ever.

On 13 June 2006, the ascent was made of Elbrus (5642 m) in the Caucasus in Russia and then the partial exit with skis. A month later, on 28 July 2006, the managed roped Andy Holzer and Erik Weihenmayer is probably the first commission of an extreme climb (Red Tower, V +, Lienz Dolomites) in alpine terrain "double-blind" by a rope team. On 8 November 2006 Holzer climbed for the first time the Vienna Danube Tower (150 meters) as part of a fundraiser initiative light into the darkness with the handkerchief brand pace, in January 2007, then the 6962 m high Aconcagua.

On April 2, 2014, Andy Holzer left for Nepal. His goal was Mt Everest. "Even as a teenager Everest was a big dream of his. The chance that I feel now, I want to use it, "Holzer said in a recent interview. After Erik Weihenmayer Holzer he would have been the second blind person on top of the highest mountain in the world. Due to an avalanche accident, he broke the ascent on April 26, 2014, but intends to return in the near future.