LOWA PRO Team Alix von Melle
Seven of 14
At first glance, you may not take Alix von Melle for a high-altitude or extreme mountaineer. With her petite frame and delicate facial features, the college-educated geographer from northern Germany doesn’t bear any resemblance to the classic idea of an extreme athlete. But looks can indeed be deceiving: The Hamburg native is Germany’s most successful female mountain climber.
Alix is a passionate mountaineer as well as an enthusiastic climber, mountain biker and ski tourer. The desire to conquer the world’s highest-mountains came to her relatively late in life. As a child, Alix did indeed frequently head south on skiing trips in the Alps and have an opportunity to enjoy a type of winter not experienced very frequently in her northern German homeland. But she didn’t really develop an interest in climbing and ski tours until she began to study geography in Munich. With the Alps just outside the front door now, Alix learned to climb mountains and got intensively involved in the sport. Eventually, the native of Germany’s flat north turned herself into an all-round mountain climber.
Alix has already climbed seven of the 14 eight-thousanders. And this was done without using bottled oxygen. When the athlete is not climbing high mountains, she works as an independent press officer.
Facts & figures
- Birthday:
- 01.09.1971
- Birthplace:
- Hamburg
- Home base:
- Füssen
- Profession:
- PR speaker, yoga teacher
- Favourite climbing site:
- Les Hautes Alpes
- Local mountain:
- Tegelberg in the winter/Säuling in the summer
- Height:
- 1,74 m
- Weight:
- 62 kg
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“While mountaineering and in nature, you can recharge yourself with an incredible amount of strength and energy.”
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Alix von Melle,
Who did you look up to when you started your sport? Who motivated you?
“I am coming from the north of Germany, close to the sea coast, and all my friends and family are into watersports. I had to motivate myself, I really wanted to start climbing. But this was my greatest motivation because I wanted to try it out for myself – not because others wanted me to.”
Do you remember a special moment where you broke your personal boundaries?
“I found my personal boundaries climbing the Aconcagua South Face, a nearly 3000-meter-high vertical wall in the Andes in the year 2000 – and broke them!”
How Do you want to inspire people who are not active in your sport yet?
“It is amazing how much you can recover from a busy day outside, in nature. Climbing in a beautiful setting then gives me back my energy and strength.
However, I find it most important, that you start doing whatever you do because YOU want to do it, not because others want to make you do it.”
My shoes for…
Expeditions: EXPEDITION 8000 EVO RD
“When you’re on an expedition, the correct footwear is a matter of life or death to protect you from hypothermia and frostbite. The EVO just has everything that you need. It’s durable and has great workmanship, but without any unnecessary bells and whistles.”
Strolls: MADDOX GTX LO Ws
“My absolutely favourite shoe for everyday use: Whether an approach at a climbing facility, city trips, a visit to the beer garden or an outdoor holiday – this is a lightweight shoe with a perfect fit that can be laced quickly!”
