Souls of the Alps #11: Roger Schäli – The Master of the North Faces

There are climbers who chase summits, and there are those who fall in love with the walls — the vertical, exposed, and often brutal faces of the mountain. Roger Schäli is one of the latter. For over two decades, this Swiss alpinist has dedicated himself to the most legendary and technical climbs in the Alps, especially the North Faces, where beauty meets challenge in its purest form.

Born in 1978 in Switzerland, Schäli grew up surrounded by the giants of the Bernese Oberland. It wasn’t long before he found his passion not in walking trails, but in hanging from them — climbing routes where few dared to go. What set Schäli apart was not just his talent, but his deep respect for the mountain, his creative approach, and his desire to connect with the spirit of each face he climbed.

He has completed multiple ascents of the Eiger’s North Face, often choosing new lines or making enchainments with other peaks. He’s one of the few climbers to have completed all six great North Faces of the Alps — and to do so not just quickly, but artistically.

In March 2025, Roger Schäli added another chapter to his story with the first ascent of the north face of Punta Pioda in the Bregaglia Alps — a wild, untouched wall that had resisted climbers for decades. Along with his partners, he opened a demanding, four-day route through mixed terrain, ice, and delicate rock, proving once again that exploration is not dead — it just takes patience.

Schäli is more than a climber — he’s a storyteller of the vertical world. Through his expeditions, talks, and documentaries, he shares not just the physical act of climbing, but the philosophy that drives it: humility, connection, and creative vision.

“A wall is not just an obstacle. It’s a space for poetry — written with rope, ice, and trust.”
— Roger Schäli