Eneko Pou

Climber - Trad / Bigwall

A lifelong fascination with the mystery of the mountains has driven Eneko to a stunning range of outdoor achievements, from free climbs and high-altitude expeditions to ice climbs and extreme ski descents. The older brother of fellow climber Iker, he is part of the most successful climbing partnership in the modern era. According to Eneko, his brother is the ‘action man’ and he is the ‘thinker.’

Quick Facts

Hometown

Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain

Homebase

Mallorca and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

Biggest dream

To climb a new big face of rock and ice and then ski down the other side.

How do I focus

-

Best advice

Life is short and you have to live intensely and enjoy the moments.

What inspires you?

-

Words to live by

Be patient and appreciate the little things.

Favourite other fitness exercise

Mountain biking

I don’t leave home without my...

-

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/hermanospou/

Top 5 career highlights

  • Climbing “SUPER CANALETA”1800m/6c/M5, Patagonia (Argentina). 2007
  • Climbing “ORBAYU” 8c+/550m, new route and free climb. Naranjo de Bulnes (Spain). 2009.
  • Climbing “SOLO POR VECHI GUERRERI” 8C/200M (Dolomites). 2010.
  • Alpinism Expeditions to Annapurna (8.051m), Baghirathi 3 (6454m), Kethardome (6880m), Cotopaxi (5960m), Ama Dablam (6868m), 1999-2004.
  • Alpinism Pakistan Winter Expedition. Shimshal Valley. Two new ice climbs of 3 and 5 level and first attempt of Yizhal (6000m) with skis and in winter, reaching 5500m.

Biography

Born in the Basque Country of northern Spain, Eneko fell in love with climbing as a child on trips to the Pyrenees and the Alps with his parents and brother, fellow The North Face team mate, Iker. He was selected as a member of the first Spanish Young Mountaineer Team as a teenager, but his interests expanded beyond mountaineering and he was eventually drawn to big-wall climbing.

Through uniting his ‘thinking’ with his brother’s ‘action’ together Eneko and Iker have achieved some of their most awe-inspiring expeditions. Hungry to travel, to meet new people, to venture into the unknown and to explore their limits, they have journeyed around the world in search of new challenges. Between 2003 and 2008 they completed ‘Seven Walls, Seven Continents’, ascending a challenging wall on each of the world’s continents, finishing with a first ascent of a virgin mountain called Sky Peak in Antarctica.

The brothers lay claim to one of the hardest free climbs to date, on the West Face of the Naranjo de Bulnes-Orbayu, a 500m limestone wall leading to the summit of the Picos de Europa massif in the Spanish Pyrenees. Another highlight was 'The Hardest of the Alps' - a project to free climb three of the most difficult alpine routes in the summer of 2010. Eneko has also accomplished extreme ski descents in the Pyrenees and expeditions to high-altitude mountains, including Annapurna (8051m).

In the future Eneko wants to explore the mountains in two directions: major expeditions in exotic locations, mirroring his trips to Baffin Island in 2012 and Siberia in 2015, and highly technical sport climbing closer to home, which push his body and mind to new limits.

Discover the latest news

UNKNOWN FACTORS

Exploring India’s Baspa Valley

COMMON GROUND

A climbing journey nto the unknown with Iker & Eneko Pou, Hansjörg Auer, Jacopo Larcher and Siebe Vanhee

All Climbers

Simone Moro

Hervé Barmasse

Stefano Ghisolfi

Jacopo Larcher

James Pearson

Caroline Ciavaldini

David Göttler

Iker Pou

Siebe Vanhee

Babsi Vigl

View more athletes

View less athletes