Common Climber Contributor

Hendrik is a person with many interests. Too many, he would probably say. Add to that an unrivaled amount of stoke and there you go. An alpinist at heart, he tries to spend as much time as he can out in the mountains doing climbs that challenge him - as climbing for him is an expression of art and philosophy, the subject of his college studies. (Hence the sometimes theoretical approach to something as practical and real as climbing.)

But, that just adds to the appeal for him. Coping with challenges you pick yourself instead of ones that are thrown at you also has something deeply personal and empowering - especially if coping with mental health problems in everyday life.

​Outside of this blog he writes about his alpine outings, mental health, philosophy, politics and many other things that come to his mind on a German blog called radikalvertikal.blogspot.com. If there is time, he also tries to capture some nice views along the way, which you can find on his Instagram, @radikalvertikal .

Common Climber Stories:

• An Ode to Ice and Friendship (By Hendrik Schaal) - ​Hendrik Schaal shares a very personal story - his struggle with bipolar disorder and how ice climbing gives him hope, focus, and friendships. Trigger Warning: The following article contains themes of mental health and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, there are some resources at the end of this article.
• Progress (By Hendrik Schaal) - German climber Hendrik Schaal reflects upon his unexpected progression in mixed alpine climbing.