Mont Blanc

1990

The highest peak of the Alps (4807 m) will always hold a special meaning for me personally – as one of the (so far) three major turning points of my life. In 1990 it provided an escape from a deeply depressing life situation. When we – my friends Stefan Schröder, Stefan Behrens, and I – reached the summit, we looked down onto the world as from an airplane. At the end of the climb, when we arrived at Aiguille du Midi, I had the feeling that I’d given all I’ve got, physically and mentally. And this “all” now seemed spread out in front of me like the summit view. For a few moments it appeared as I had gained an overview of the world and myself as a whole. I wrote in my diary:

“…and therefore, at the end of my strength I feel more alive than ever.”