Jacopo Larcher grew up in Bolzano (South Tyrol), Italy. photo Klaus Dell’Orto
JACOPP LARCHER grew up surrounded by mountains in Northern Italy. Much of his childhood was spent exploring them and at the age of ten he signed up for a climbing course. The rest is history as after school he moved to Austria to further his climbing career. He has since climbed at locations around the world and tells us he has so much more to explore.
Read on to find out about his career highlights so far and what climbs and expeditions he has planned for the months and years ahead.
Where did you grow up and how did you get into climbing?
I grew up in Bolzano (South Tyrol), a small city surrounded by the mountains. As a child I’d always spent a lot of time in the mountains with my parents and, as soon as I got the chance, I subscribed for a climbing course at the local gym. I was 10 years old and since that moment climbing has became a fundamental part of my life.
I spent the following years mainly climbing indoor with my father, until I started to take part in some competitions and got more outside thanks to some friends.
After school Jacopo moved to Austria where he could further his climbing career. photo Francois Lebeau
After school I moved to Innsbruck (Austria) in order to have better training facilities and get into a more dynamic climbing scene. I kept on competing in International events, until I stopped in 2011 as I wanted to climb more outside and had some problems with the federation.
Since that moment I’ve been travelling all around the world, trying out all the different aspects that climbing has to offer.
Who were your biggest supporters and mentors at the beginning?
At the beginning my biggest supporters were definitely my parents. Especially my dad spent a lot of time climbing with me, even if he hadn’t climbed before.
Beside them, three older friends (Marco, Barbara and Peter) has helped me a lot as a young climber. They taught me a lot, drove me around and had a big influence on my climbing and life. I’m really thankful to them.
If we talk about ‘heroes’, as a young climber I’ve always looked up to Sonnie Trotter.
Jacopo enjoys all types of climbing but particularly enjoys hard trad climbs and big walls. photo Francois Lebeau
Tell us more about your favourite style of climbing.
Well, that’s a hard question… I try to explore all the different styles that climbing has to offer. I need to do it in order to keep my motivation high. I like to try out new things and I think it’s a good way to improve as a climber. I particularly like to try hard trad climbs and big walls, as they require a good balance between a good physical shape and the right mental attitude.
What have you been some of your biggest climbing achievements?
My first 5.10 crack! I had a really hard time with crack climbing at the beginning. Joking aside, I would say the ascents of “Rhapsody” (E11 7a) and “La Rambla” (5.15a) and free climbing El Cap (“Free Zodiac” and “El Nino”).
Jacopo looks forward to exploring new countries to pursue his passion to climb in the near future. photo Elias Holzknecht/The North Face
Where in the world has the sport taken you and what have been some of the highlights?
I’ve been travelling a lot for climbing over the last years and I think it won’t change in the near future. I like to see climbing as a way to discover the world and to get in contact with foreign cultures and people: It’s something very important for me. Climbing without travelling wouldn’t be the same.
Talking about destinations, I really liked South Africa. I liked the colours, the big open spaces, the smells… it’s hard to describe why I liked it so much, but it’s a very special place for me.
The trip/expedition to Siberia has also been very special, but for completely different reasons. I always thought that it would be impossible to climb there, as in my imagination Siberia was completely flat and cold… but surprisingly we ended up climbing on some amazing granite big walls in the middle of the tundra. It was also very interesting to witness/discover the local culture: it was way different than expected!
Climbing has taken Jacopo to far off locations including Siberia and South Africa. photo Klaus Dell’Orto
Where are you currently and what are you training for? What projects and climbs do you have planned for the year ahead and beyond?
I’m currently back at home after one week of multi-pitch climbing in the Alps. I plan to spend the summer in the Alps; I would like to climb in Chamonix or on the Eiger, as I’ve never been there. In October we’ll travel again to Yosemite and we would like to do another free climb on El Cap.
