ALBERT SEGURA -SPAIN-

For some years I was competing in Artistic Roller Skating

I start climbing when I was 23 but as soon I had my first contact with the rock I notice that climbing was going to be something very important in my life. Since then and until now is been all ready over 24 years non stop visiting almost 60 countries and always motivated as the first day. Before climbing I did several sports but climbing is so far the one that makes me happy and keep me motivated. Climbing is so mental and physically at the same time that lots of times I can't sleep thinking where I'm going to be in my next trip or if I can mange to do a crux of a project at the next day.

When I start climbing I feel in love with Lynn Hill. I remember that I was dreaming to climb the Nose and She was the first climber climbing in free climb these amazing route. I don't consider myself a model to anybody but being a climbing guide, when I'm teaching some climbers and they feel very curious, asking me about my trips and life I feel that they really want to have a similar way of leaving as I do and these is a nice feeling because I really enjoy my life. But these amazing life but without great people like my wife Lidia and my little daughter Zion to share these experiences won't be the same.

During the last 20 years I did almost every Big Wall that I planned to do and every year I'm getting a bit stronger little by little in sport climbing too, but I'll say that my milestone is finishing every day happy and try to never get angry when there is something that I can make it. Never mind if is a route or something that happen in my personal life. When climbing I like to remember how hard was for me climbing as a beginner and how many times I felt desperate at the end of a climbing day. Is nice to remember years ago and compare it with present days. I think that being constant and enjoying what you are doing is the only way of improving.

I was in a long climbing trip by my self climbing every day and feeling very strong :) when one day climbing an A5 pitch in a rope solo style I hear a noice and suddenly I felt that all was finish. I toke a very huge fall, the last coper that I clipped just snap and then every piece of gear that was on the rock start coming off ...

I was in the first pitch of a multi pitch route so if any single piece of gear was holding I'll stop in the ground. Lucky me a black alien and a tiny piton that I joined with a small cordellete stop me 10 cm before I smash my head against the ground. The unlucky part is that in the fall I hit a roof with my chest and I broke 7 rips. I went to the hospital by my self and after some hours I escape thinking that if they where giving me an operation I wont climb anymore because my back was quite badly injured. I stayed some months in really pain and my ex wife had to help me to get dress and I could not almost walk, but then I went to see David Ponce that is a back specialist and he fixed me quite well after some sessions. In these time of my life I though a lot about of how many important things are in life that where not related with climbing. I thought that never will walk again or having a normal life so climbing was not super important anymore for a while.

In another trip I toke a fall while climbing Riders on the Storm in the central tower of Torres del Paine and I broke my leg. I was so motivated that I told my friends that was just a twist and that I still could climb up the fixed ropes if they wanted to continue climbing. We had very horrible weather for 7 days so I stay one week on the porta ledge with a broken leg. On the way down I abseil the wall, cross the glaciar on my bump and then I walked for 15 hours to get to the refuge. Is amazing how strong can be the human body...

Next day I toke a horse, then 2 buses and I went to the hospital to have some screws on my leg as a Patagonia souvenir

While climbing a 500 meters mixed route (free and aid ) I a rope solo , I was in the middle of a pitch 250 meters from the ground and I placed a Blue Black Diamond cam. When I went to grab the rope for clipping a realized that, shit I did not have a rope...
In a moment I passed of a being in an amazing place enjoying tranquility an peace to be in and a very bad situation. I lost my rope because these pitch was very vertical and the rope was pulling down inside my bag by it's own weight. I was climbing with my rope inside my back pack in my back and I was sure that I did a knot at the end of the rope to avoid these situation but, wherever these didn't matter anymore. I was there in the middle of a scary pitch with poor rock and not to many options to do. I keep climbing no ropes for 12 meters and then I clipped my self to a couple of pitons.
Was cold, nobody new that I was there and I did not have a rope...
Lucky me before I start trying to climb down I hear some people near to the base of the wall and I could tell them my funny situation.
That was many years ago and rescue teams where not as professional as they are now I guess. I had to wait for 23 hours hanging on the wall, being very , very cold, without warm cloths, water, food or the most important part ,my rope...