DAVID GÖTTLER -GLOBAL TEAM-

I try to maintain a good balance to remain strong in all the different disciplines. However, it's not easy to combine climbing at a high standard with expeditions and endurance training. I'm definitely making compromises when it comes to climbing at the moment. This means that I'm doing lots of endurance training: running, road cycling and/or skiing in winter. Generally, I train for 6-7 days and then take a rest day. If there is an expedition coming up, I increase the endurance training.

Having a concrete goal helps motivate me to train properly. But some people are disciplined enough to train hard anyway. You have to find what suits you best.

Climbing gyms are a café and ideal training camp all rolled into one. Perfect for getting strong fast, which can be useful when there's an expedition just around the corner. Although, I naturally prefer to climb outdoors.

One arm – no. One arm and one finger, still no.

If by success, you mean having the biggest sponsorship deals and the highest media profile, then climbing ability is not always the deciding factor. There are people who know how to play the system and who are more successful. Not always, but often. However, I see success as something that each of us has to define for ourselves.

It takes a particular attitude to achieve these goals. Although, this has more to do with the ability to be able to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Nobody can just go out and climb the North Face of the Eiger. In the same way, no one can simply pick up a violin and start to play it. Both require training and patience. If you have these things, then you can achieve your goals. Talent can help, it means you achieve certain things faster or more easily.

I couldn't imagine life without targets. I need goals to train. Otherwise I would find it hard to motivate myself. Developing new objectives and dreaming of new projects is an important and beautiful part of my life as a mountaineer. My most important goal is to remain healthy and keep enjoying my mountaineering. Not to have too much of a good thing. With long expeditions in particular, it's important not to do too many too close together. You can end up burned out. I also maintain a strict separation between my work as a mountain guide and my personal climbing.

In life, I don't have any major life goals, such as climbing all 8000ers or climbing this or that grade. I've always felt that goals line up next to each another, like beads on a necklace. One goal then leads to the next. I'm excited about this journey. This doesn't mean that I wait to see where life will take me. My goals are carefully chosen. However, they tend not to be too far off.

As far as everyday life is concerned, my goal is to experience as much of the world and to climb in its mountains as much as possible. And to share these experiences with friends. We shall see where it all leads.

There is bound to be – especially in mountaineering – significant advances as "athletes" start to train specifically for this discipline. At present, people tend to be either endurance experts or climbers, who reach a certain age and then acquire the additional skills. I see the potential in my young DAV Expedkader climbers. They might not be that interested in long endurance training sessions – I was the same when I was their age. But now that both technique and endurance are being trained from an early age, pair this with natural talent and there are bound to be advances.

It will be interesting to see what's possible.