I was born in Lemoa (Basque Country) in the dead of winter in 1981, and hence my passion for winter expeditions … I am the youngest of my brothers, hence my passion for teamwork.

Mountains and team have been an inseparable combination during my career. In my opinion the mountain is meant to be shared.

My passion for the mountain comes from far away, when I was barely walking; and at the age of three I climbed Gorbea, the most iconic peak in the area where I grew up.
Since I was a teenager I have been in love with the mountains, with the nature and each of those few places where the man has not yet passed. As gravity attracts our bodies without making any difference, the same force attracts me to those peaks, so high that when you are up there, you realize that you still haven’t really reached the top, until you’re back down.

I love to travel, to learn about different cultures discovering the history of each city and mountain through its people. And so, at 21, I summitted my first eight thousand peak: Broad Peak (8,047 m), in the Pakistani Karakorum.
There begins my journey to the mountains all over the world.

Since then, I partecipated in more than 30 expeditions and summitted 11 of the 14 eight thousand peaks(the 14 highest mountains in the world ), considering I climbed twice Shisha Pagma, I summitted 12 times over 8000mt.

In last decade, I concentrated my efforts on Himalayan winter expeditions. So, I am the only mountaineer in the world to carry out this kind of projects continuously since 2011 winter. The most important and amazing adventure has been in 2016 winter, when, with Ali Sadpara from Pakistan and Simone Moro from Italy, I summitted Nanga Parbat(8,126 m) for first time in history in winter.In January 2023 I hoisted MANASLU (8,163m). On both occasions in purely winter expeditions and without the help of artificial oxygen.

Between the two feats never before achieved and for which I needed to make several attempts, I have launched winter attempts at Everest in winter in 2017, 2018 and 2020 and K2 in 2019, and Manaslu in 2021 and 2022.

I feel I can go on with my project: I’m strong enough to do it and you give me your support to get up when I fall. And as I always say, I am who I am because all people supporting me. You make it possible I go on carrying my backpack

WINTER EXPEDITIONS AND SUMMITS

Since the winter of 2011, I have focused my efforts continuously on winter expeditions to the Himalayas. One attempt after another, one adversity after another, without losing any of my passion for mountaineering. Every day, I have become more and more motivated by rock climbing, achieving climbs up to grade 8A. I am sure that we still have a lot to do, many adventures to live… I am still that boy with a passion for the mountain.

SUMMITS

• 2012: 9 March, first world ascent of the GASHERBRUM SOUTH (7,109 m).
• 2013: First world winter ascent of LAILA PEAK (6,096 m), third absolute ascent.
• 2016: 26 February, first world winter ascent of NANGA PARBAT (8,126 m).
• 2018: 20 January, first world winter repeat on PUMORI (7161 m).
• 2020: 25 January, winter ascent of AMA DABLAM (6,812 m).
• 2023: 06 January, second world winter ascent of MANASLU (8,163m)

WINTER ATTEMPTS

• 2011 GASHERBRUM 1 (8.080 m), altitude reached 7,100 m.
• 2012 GASHERBRUM 1 (8,080 m), altitude reached 7,400 m by a new route. My
  three expedition companions disappeared at 7,700 m.
• 2016 NANGA PARBAT (8,126 m), altitude reached 7,850 m.
• 2017 EVEREST (8,848 m) reached C4 (8,000 m) three times.
• 2018 EVEREST (8,848 m), second attempt. I reached 7,850 m.
• 2019 K2 (8,611 m), I reached 7,100 m on the Abruzzi Route and helped rescue Tom Ballard and Daniele Nardi on Nanga Parbat.
• 2020 EVEREST (8,848 m), I reached 7,050 m.
• 2021 MANASLU (8,163m), altitude reached 7,100 m.
• 2022 MANASLU (8,163m), altitude reached 6,500 m.