Alongside his older brother Eneko, Iker is half of one of the most successful climbing partnerships in the world. A diverse and daring climber who is as accomplished climbing on rock as he is tackling sport climbing, bouldering and big wall ascents, Iker’s success has earned him respect both in the climbing community and the wider public sphere.
Birthdate: February 5, 1977
Hometown: Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Homebase: Mallorca and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Favourite Book: The book “Garry Quebet” is very good!
Favourite Movie: La Isla Minima
Favourite Food: Spanish rice
Favourite Music: Punk
Biggest Dream: To find a big and beautiful wall in a remote unclimbed area.
How do I focus: If something motivates and inspires me, I have the capacity to put all my energy into that.
Best advice ever received: Always to try to be happy and never stop following your dreams.
What inspires you: The places that gives me good vibrations and positive energy. Good people and people that always try to be happy and push their limits.
Favourite fitness exercise: Surfing!
I don’t leave the house without my… The North Face DNP Jacket
Originating from the Basque Country in northern Spain, Iker started climbing with Eneko in 1992 and the brothers soon were exploring the Pyrenees together with their parents. From the beginning it was clear that Iker had an incredible talent for climbing on rock. He has now climbed more than 120 routes between 8c (5.14b) and 9a+ (5.15a) and 8c (5.14b) onsight. But Iker’s true passion was for adventure and this addiction drove him on to ever more exciting feats.
Joining forces with Eneko, the two have united their talents and energies to push new boundaries. The brothers have their differences – Iker is a fan of punk music, Eneko prefers rock and roll – but they share a mutual passion for exploration. Their most iconic achievement is their ‘Seven Walls, Seven Continents’ project in which they climbed the most spectacular wall in each corner of the globe between 2003 and 2008 - a mission which enabled them to explore the unknown and to push the limits of their own endurance, from The Totem Pole in Tasmania to the Zerua Peak of Antarctica.
The brothers have also pushed the boundaries of big wall climbing, making one of the hardest free-climbs to date on the West Face of the Naranjo de Bulnes, a 500m limestone wall leading to the summit of the Picos de Europa massif. With 'The Hardest of the Alps', a 2010 project to free climb three of the most difficult alpine routes within one summer, the brothers succeeded in something few people could have dared to dream about. A genuine trailblazer, Iker is proud to know that hundreds of climbers now want to copy his first routes around the world, including The Door (650m, proposed 8b) on Baffin Island in 2012 and Orbayu (8c+/550m) in Spain in 2009.
Iker is now focusing on one or two major expeditions each year, targeting the most aesthetically beautiful mountains around the world where he can create stunning new routes and truly original adventures. As expected from a man with a lifelong passion for mountains and discovery, his favourite climbs are his last one and his next one.