David Lama was born in 1990. His mom is an Innsbruck native and his dad a mountain guide from Nepal. David was five-years-old when Himalaya-veteran Peter Habeler first watched him climb. Afterwards, Habeler immediately called his parents to tell them that their boy had an unusual talent …

Little David had no interest in hiking courses or Alpine Club activities; he wanted to go vertical from the get-go. At the indoor climbing gym he met his coach-to-be, Reini Scherer. David and the east-Tyrolean climbing-enthusiast Scherer are still a successful team today, 13 years later.

From the beginning, the climbing wall was the primary attraction for David, and the challenging competitions were just a part of the deal. David did indeed improve his technique unusually fast and with lots of talent at the indoor climbing gym. He quickly and safely mastered the slick walls and the colorful climbing holds.

But he still didn’t want to give up the true thing – the dramatic and exciting outdoor rock climbing. From then on, David’s career was split in two. The increasing time and quality spent at the climbing gym for practice and competition correlated more and more to the outdoor mountain climbing. David balanced his athletic achievements with Alpine pioneer accomplishments, such as the first free ascents of the Sagwand (“Desperation of the North Face”), and first ascents in the Yosemite National Park and in Chile.

What makes David exceptional is his Buddhist calm and his flexible and confidant climbing style. The climbing scene has embraced him, and branch media and forums discuss and admire his skill and talent in climbing challenging routes in difficult terrain. This charismatic athlete is considered to be a pioneer of a new climber generation, who use technical perfection and exceptional physical strength to go places no one went before.

David congenially resists the temptation to make a show of his skills; he found his inner peace at the tender age of 19, and sees his top athletic achievements and the extreme Alpine adventures as simply a part of the big adventure Life. “It’s not about collecting achievements, it’s all about the experience”, David said.

© Christian Seiler