The Most Famous Rock Climbers: From Hergiani to Steck

Not only has Russia gifted the world with outstanding climbers; neighboring and distant countries have also contributed their share.

We begin our list of these climbing heroes with a very famous Georgian climber whose name has been immortalized in a rock formation in Crimea, where rock climbing competitions have been held multiple times.

Great Alpinists and Rock Climbers

Georgia

Mikhail Hergiani (1932-1969) is often referred to as Georgian, but to be precise, he was Svan. His homeland is the mountain region of Georgia – Svaneti, home to the dream of many climbers worldwide: Ushba.

The legendary climber and alpinist lived a relatively short life but left an immense mark on the history of rock climbing and mountaineering. He was a multiple champion in rock climbing.

Those who knew Misha Hergiani claim he didn’t climb rocks – he danced on them. That’s how effortlessly and naturally it came to him! It’s no wonder he earned the title of “Tiger of the Rocks,” a title previously bestowed only upon Tenzing Norgay, the first to summit Everest.

Hergiani’s death during a training climb in Italy came as a complete shock to everyone.

At his father’s request, Mikhail Hergiani was buried in his homeland according to Svan traditions. In 1989, a house-museum was established in his honor in Mestia.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko dedicated a poem titled “Hergiani’s Rope”:

There’s in Mikhail Hergiani’s house the rope that once betrayed him, ringing taut on that edge between good and evil, all and nothing. Height would always sate him, but the heights could not save him when nylon snapped in Italian cliffs, shaking all the windows in Svan homes. I touch the frayed strands, deceptive, appearing almost steel-like. How can one trust people and ropes that harbor such treachery?

Ukraine

Sergey Bershov The renowned climber, mountaineer, and skier from Kharkiv, Sergey Igorevich Bershov (1947), entered the sport due to an ironic twist of fate.

Suffering from a heart condition, he was strictly forbidden by doctors to engage in sports. Young Bershov did the exact opposite, and ten years later, the diagnosis was no longer confirmed.

Sergey Bershov was at the forefront of rock climbing in the USSR during the 1960s when the sport was just beginning to develop.

Bershov is a fifteen-time champion of USSR rock climbing competitions.

Additionally, he claimed victory in six international competitions. It is worth noting that, during this time, climbing walls did not yet exist. Training took place on natural rock formations and old brick buildings.

Maksim Petrenko Maksim Petrenko (1978) is a classic example of entering rock climbing under the influence of his parents.

Today, Maksim ranks among the top ten rock climbers in the “difficulty” category. He began his athletic journey inspired by trips with his rock climbing parents to climbing meetups in the Caucasus, Tajikistan, and nearby settlements such as Zuevka and Uspenka, close to his native Lugansk. At one time, his parents dissuaded him from joining a specialized football school, and from the age of 12, he became fascinated with rock climbing.

M. Petrenko is a master of sports of international class and the only Ukrainian climber to earn a prize in the “difficulty” category.

For Maksim, rock climbing is like a drug, and only self-belief helps him tackle the most challenging routes.

He tries to maintain peak physical condition year-round through jogging, general physical training, and rock-specific practices (bouldering, endurance, and resistance training). According to Maksim, one month of relaxation results in losing athletic form, but resting is essential to overcome accumulated fatigue.

Currently, he lives in Europe with his family.

Czech Republic

Adam Ondra Adam Ondra (1993) followed in his parents’ footsteps into rock climbing.

Teaching a child to rock climb named Adam yielded results rather quickly.

At the age of 6, he managed to complete a route with a difficulty rating of 6a, and by 8 years old, he was conquering 7b+.

The fruits of his parents’ efforts (undoubtedly with Adam’s participation!) were soon evident. As of today, this young man is the only holder of the World Cup in two climbing disciplines (difficulty and bouldering) and the title of World Champion simultaneously.

Despite his young age, he is the trailblazer for routes rated at 9b+ difficulty level. Over 300 routes of 8b difficulty level have been conquered by him.

Judging by Adam’s determination, he does not intend to rest on his laurels from his victories and titles.

Switzerland

Ueli Steck Ueli Steck (1976), a renowned mountaineer and rock climber. In 2005, he was among the top three climbers in Europe. At just 17 years old, he reached the 9th difficulty level in climbing.

He does not participate in competitions. However, he holds speed records for completing some extremely challenging routes in the Alps .

Ueli Steck is a staunch proponent of the pure style of solo climbing, earning him the nickname “Swiss Superman.”

Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun has every right to be proud of its climbers: Sachi Amma, Masayuki Nakamura (25 years of climbing experience!), 19-year-old Toru Nakajima, and Dai Koyamada (born 1976).

Sachi Amma was the winner of the 2009 World Games in the “difficulty” category.

In 2013, he planned to complete all the challenging routes in Japan’s Horai climbing area. He fulfilled this self-imposed challenge with honor.

This small but determined Japanese climber set himself a goal for 2015: to complete 10 climbing routes of the 9th (and higher) difficulty category. Slowly but surely, he moved along his planned path. The cliffs of France, Spain, and Germany yielded to the relentless Japanese climber. One cannot help but envy his perseverance and endurance.

Sachi Amma managed to conduct several climbing training sessions under the guidance of the famous climbing guru Ludwig Korb at the renowned Gimme Kraft training center in Bavaria.

Ludwig (Dicki) Korb, together with Patrick Matros (a sports science researcher), wrote a guidebook for those who want to learn climbing, improve their skills and knowledge, and discover a new approach to training.

Unfortunately, the book was published only in English and German, under the title Gimme Kraft.

France

Alex Chabot Alex Chabot is considered one of the most unconventional and controversial climbers.

He is often referred to as the “stripper dancer.”

In 2006, a major scandal surrounded his name.

Alex defended the athletes’ right to keep money, politics, and sponsorships out of competitions.

For him, climbing is a way of life. This philosophy prompts him to travel extensively. In every country, he connects with climbers who share his mindset.

In Argentina, he was inspired by the local climbers’ belief that everything should remain natural, with no modifications to the rocks.

In Armenia, he pioneered numerous routes on unique basalt cliffs.

In 2012, he climbed one of Mont Blanc’s most challenging and beautiful routes onsight at an altitude of 3,600 meters.

This eccentric Frenchman has won 21 World Cups and six French championships.

When banned from competitions, he spent his time developing ambitious projects to complete rock-climbing routes rated at the 9th difficulty category.

What a restless spirit this Frenchman has!

Germany

Kurt Albert The legendary German climber Kurt Albert (1954–2010) is a name to remember.

Kurt began his climbing journey at the age of 14. He taught himself to climb . His passion for the sport was so intense that he could complete up to 20 routes in a single weekend.

He was one of the first to practice free climbing.

Kurt coined the term “redpoint,” which refers to completing a route using only natural climbing holds. This was his response to climbing with artificial assistance.

In his view, by the 1970s, climbing with artificial aid had reached a dead end in its development.

The global impact of this German athlete on the evolution of rock climbing is immeasurable. In his later years, he lived in Switzerland and tragically died under unclear circumstances.

In 2010, while guiding a group along an equipped rock route, he fell from a height of 18 meters. He succumbed to his injuries two days later. Often, this is how a climber’s life abruptly ends—such is the extreme nature of the sport.

In his everyday life, Kurt Albert was a schoolteacher of mathematics and physics.

He loved to travel and frequently participated in unique expeditions, constantly seeking new and fascinating climbing routes in every corner of the Earth.

This list of iconic climbers from around the world could go on and on.

Every year, new names will emerge—new heroes and new victors conquering the heights.