LOWA ACTIVE Team Tobias Karpinski
The late-blooming climbing freak
Tobias Karpinski is something of an exotic member of the LOWA ACTIVE Team. Born in the southern German region of Allgäu, he was basically a child of the mountains – nothing unusual about that. But as a child and a teenager, Tobi wasn’t much interested in scaling them, rather he usually just raced around them on his mountain bike. Down a bit lower from the highest elevations, he enjoyed motocross and other motorcycle riding. He came to climbing relatively late in life, at the age of 21. And he’s that much more passionate about it as a result. “Right after my first day of climbing, I was swept off my feet by this great sport, ” he says.
Ever since, man from Allgäu uses just about every spare minute in his life to go mountain climbing, bouldering or climbing. This is what he loves so much about climbing: The sport is so multifaceted. It’s always exciting and never boring. His intensive training has already paid off. After two years, he achieved his first extreme-rated climb . He was also a member of the German Alpine Association team from 2013 to 2015.
He has gone on to become an officially certified mountain and ski guide as well. Of course, he can pull off all this only by having a job that can accommodate his passion: Tobi works as a “part-time construction technician” and sacrifices most of his leisure time to his love of the sport. Both came under extreme pressure during a project completed in mid-2016. Three mountaineering buddies and he headed off to the Ruth Glacier in Alaska. Over a period of five weeks, they established new routes on Mount Bradley and Mount Johnson and completed existing tours.
Facts & figures
- Birthday:
- 16.09.1987
- Birthplace:
- Kaufbeuren
- Home base:
- Wildsteig
- Profession:
- Officially certified mountain and ski guide
- Favourite climbing site:
- Tarnschlucht gorge
- Local mountain:
- Lechtal valley
- Height:
- 1,78 m
- Weight:
- 65 kg
Tobias Karpinski,
Do you have a role model?
“No person in particular. But I am impressed by the achievements of earlier mountaineers, people like Anderl Heckmair, Hermann Buhl and Emilio Comici. What these Alpinists accomplished with such inferior material compared to today’s standards is really incredible.”
What other hobbies do you pursue?
“There is not much time left over after mountaineering, training and work. But I do enjoy reading an interesting book when I have time.”
Do you have a motto?
“I think Reinhard Karl got it right: “You never really reach the top.” Short and sweet.”
My shoes for…
High-altitude tours: ALPINE SL GTX
“I regard it as the perfect high-altitude tour footwear. It’s light, comfortable and almost like a climbing shoe on rock.”
Expeditions: ALPINE ICE GTX
“Exactly the right footwear for when the going gets tougher.”