Biography - Bubendorfer

» And what did you do for your mind? «

A seemingly simple question, posed by his grandfather, after a typically exhausting training session. One, that the then 15 year-old Thomas would spend a lifetime answering.

It triggered more than just an insatiable consumption of literature. It was a realization that personal harmony required a state in which opposing forces and influences were balanced. Body, as one, with mind. Even as a very young climber and athlete, in 1976, Thomas began to reflect on this, and to seek out the universal conditions for integrated and fulfilling long-term performance development.

The mountains, and the mind.

When he was only 20, Thomas revolutionized extreme climbing with his rope-free solo ascents of the highest and most difficult rock and ice faces in the Alps. Unparalleled solo climbs in Alaska and the Andes followed.

But mountains were never the only source of insight for Thomas. The son of a typical Austrian upper-class family (without a climber in sight), his dual inspiration came from scaling daunting rocky peaks, mostly alone, and a humanistic education guided by his grandfather and informed by private schooling in Austria and England. This manifested in a holistic approach to peak performance — one where books, languages (he speaks four) and constant learning were interwoven and counter-balanced with relentless climbing endeavours — and still are to this day.

Thomas Bubendorfer has more to offer

With an early passion for literature and trained not just to perform extreme action, but also to reflect upon it, Thomas wrote his first book at 20, “The solo climber” immediately became a bestseller, as did his second book, “Mount Fitz Roy — the quality of the next step”, which he wrote at 23. German critics compared it with “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. Thomas has now written seven books. His last one was published in 2012 for the Chinese market.

His breathtaking solo climbs, coupled with his talent to reflect upon them, drew early admirers such as Herbert von Karajan as well as the German-speaking, Italian and French media, and international corporations such as IBM who are constantly on the lookout for motivational inspiration.

» The mountains turned him into a philosopher a long time ago «

Der Wiener

He is a natural infront of the screen

Already a professional climber by the age of 19, and with sponsorships secured in Italy and Germany, his lecture tours and first TV appearances came as naturally to Thomas as climbing did at the age of 12. He began appearing regularly on German television, as well as in Italy and France. More than a dozen TV documentaries have to date been produced about his life, philosophy and achievements.

» Bubendorfer’s life is full of wisdom and philosophy «

China Daily

Thomas Bubendorfer inspires world wide

Having become Continental Europe’s most sought-after adventure keynote speaker, major business magazines such as Forbes and Harvard Business Review, in both Germany and Italy, have written features on him. Beyond Europe, he has inspired articles in Forbes China, Fortune China, China Daily and many more. In 2015 and 2016, respectively, the international client magazines of Porsche and Bentley showcased Thomas and his philosophy (Porsche and Bentley client magazines).

It is not surprising, then, that global performance brands such as Rolex, Leica, AUDI and Siemens have engaged with Thomas, for testimonials. And, since 2012, Thomas Bubendorfer has been the international brand ambassador for Porsche.

Keynote Speaker