20 Questions
Describe your climbing background.
I grew up in the High Tatra mountains. There is excellent climbing, especialy in winter. Frozen grass on steep walls. Hard to climb it, harder to protect yourself. This was our main training area before we went to the Alps and Himalayas.

Was there a big breakthrough or defining moment for you?
My first expedition was in Himalaya Pradesh, in India. I was 20 and I had been climbing with our best climbers. They taught me a lot. But I wanted more. Next year we came back as a couple and we climbed a new route in alpine style on one virgin peak. This was my first real alpine climb in Himalaya. And I enoyed it much more than the other styles.

Describe a memorable climbing experience when things got out of hand. 
Three years ago I discovered climbing on the big walls of the Karakorum. But for these targets you need a good team. That´s why I joined young Gabo. We climbed together Great Trango, where we tasted unbelievable adventure. Someone told us that it has been already behind our abilities but I think it was just the beginning of what we are able to climb. We chose the line just a few hours before starting up on the wall. We didn´t now anything about the weather forecast. We had no idea how long can the climb would take us. We took with us just the most important equipment. During the climb we fought incredible cold. The last three days we had no more food and after we reached the summit ridge, the worst descent in our life waited us. The classic descent was endangered by avalanches, Gabo had altitude sickness and started to lose his sight. We decided to rappel the northwest face with just few bolts we had and the rest of our equipement. Today I think our chances were 50:50. It was something like Russian roulette. On the south face of Great Trango there are two routes now. The American one that was in fact a culmination of efforts of more expeditions and the second one, Slovak, that was climbed in one push, without any beta.

What are you up to when you’re not climbing?
When I am not in the Karakorum or on some expedition I am with my wife Katka :-)

Any training advice or suggestions?
Everything is in your mind.

Who or what inspires you?
In Czechoslovakia there were many good mountaineers who climbed great routes. They were an example for us. Now the situation changed, it´s mostly sport climbing. Many young climbers are very good but they are afraid of huge targets.

How do you see climbing evolving in the next five years?
Alpine style in small but strong teams. The hardest routes at high altitude. Difficult lines on well-known peaks.

What do you think about the 5.15 or M13+/WI8 grade?
Very hard. But WI8? Is it still climbable? I think WI8 is just WI7 in very, very bad conditions.

How does fear affect your climbing?
On Uli Biaho Tower we were not afraid of climbing there. We were afraid of the summit. We trained a lot in ice and mixed terains but this was something else. Steep, unstable, heavy snow and no protection. Big danger just below the summit.

Care to comment on: pre-clipping more than one draw on sport routes or pre-placed gear on trad routes, chipping/comfortizing holds, glue vs. no glue?
Every climbing area has a history. Somewhere the “doctoring” is tolerable but somewhere like on sandstone in Czech the rules are very strict.

Care to comment on: heel spurs, leashes vs. leashless, falling on ice, impact of drytooling?
I have been on ice climbing competitions many times and I think that it is more fun without  heel spurs. Less rest and more power. In mountaineering the leashes are important. Once I lost my ice tool during climbing. It wasn't funny. 

Do you have any vices and what are they?
Sometimes I want to climb behind the security limits.

Any near death experiences?
Yes, on Great Trango when I was hit by avalanche during the descent.

Are you a fan of climbing history? Explain?
Yes. I like climbing history. I like to read books about great climbs. Because those who don´t know the history will not know the future. 

What are your future plans or goals in climbing?
I´d like to use my experiences at higher altitude. I want to climb new routes in alpine style. New huge routes. My next expedition will be harder than the others. In spring we are leaving to Cho Oyu 8201m from north side and after to Shisha Pangma 8046m by new route. From Tibet we move to the Karakorum where I want to finish my project. Nanga Parbat and K2 8611m. A new route in alpine style on the west face.