The North Face Kalymnos Climbing Festival, the famous meeting on the homonymous island, gathers the most talented athlets in a rock climbing competition which takes place in a cliff specially equipped for the event. Hansjorg Auer, Iker Pou, Siebe Vanhee e Jacopo Larcher bolted the routes last April, discovering great and difficult lines.

I landed in Kalymnos last week to follow an ambitious project and I could not miss the opportunity to interview some of the star athletes. One of them is the young German climber Alexander Megos who climbed, at the age of 19, the first 9a onsight in the history of rock climbing.

The following interview was made during the first day of competition after Alexander victory:  he’s sealed the final success with 4 routes climbed in 5 attempts in only four hours.

• 8b/b+ onsight
• 7c+ onsight
• 8b flash
• 8c/c+ second go

This is your second year at the climbing festival. How do you feel in the middle of this rock – paradise?
Well, as you can see the concentration of rock on this island is absolutely amazing. You can do everything you want here: Kalymnos is a good compromise between holiday, fun and climbing of course! I think this is a factor that leads me to spend some time with friends at least once a year.

What aspects of this Festival interest you the most?
Doubtless the friendliness of the local people and climbing with friends.

Talking about today: you literally crushed everything! Can you give us a technical comment about the quality of the routes and the bolting work by the The North Face team?
Actually I have just did my best. About the lines I think they were absolutely crazy and wonderful, even if the section of the 8c / c + was very sharp. Luckily, even if the routes had not been tested yet, there was no breakage or sudden collapse of the holds. The climb and the day was really fun, especially in company with all the other climbers.

You entered in history of sport climbing with the first 9a onsight. Leaving aside any kind of the technical comment, I’d like to know what are your feelings when you climb a route. Where do you find the motivation?
Good question but difficult to explain. I still live my sport as an hobby eve if it is becoming a true profession. Climbing  means still fun to me, especially in company of dear friends.

Are you telling me that you do not realize that your greatest passion is turning in a future job yet?
Just like that. I just find hard to realize that. I can not comprehend the idea of receiving money from the sport I love, although this amount of money isn’t enough to live with.  I do not know what the future holds for me.

 Will you move  towards some particular climbing spots after the Festival?
Nothing planned at the moment. Definitely I will return at home and I will train in Frankenjura, not far from where I live now. Later maybe I’ll move to Spain for a few weeks or alternatively in France. As I said, there is nothing planned, but these are only some ideas that excites my mind.

Thank you for your time and I wish you good luck!
Thank you, see you soon!

Matteo Pavana