I was 27 when an orthopaedic surgeon looked at me with a serious face and told me walking would be “challenging.” Four knee surgeries. A wheelchair. And meanwhile, my mind was already somewhere else: in the mountains. No snowboard trip. No hike. No climb. Not for a while. I looked at him and said, “I think I’m in the wrong hospital. No running doesn’t fit my schedule.”
It actually started earlier
When I was 18, my GP told me something wasn’t right with my lower back. His advice: quit your music career (I was studying at the conservatory at the time), because “by the time you’re 40, your back will give out.” Around that same time: my first knee surgery. I listened. Not to the doctor… but to the mountains.
Because that’s what mountains do. They call you. They pull you in. They don’t let go, even if you have two surgically repaired knees, a back that’s protesting, and a calendar that’s been too full for years. After my fourth knee surgery, a passionate physiotherapist helped me learn how to walk again. First carefully, then with determination. And not long after, I was back on a mountainside. Because for me, that wasn’t optional. It felt like a necessity.
The mountain is always right
Years later, Marjolein, my wife, and I climbed Mont Blanc. A summit I’d stared at from the valley for years. Despite being prone to altitude sickness, we stood on the top together with our trusted guide and friend, Jehan Roland Guillot. His motto: “No problem, only solutions.”
A week later, another challenge was already on the calendar: the Eiger Ultra Trail in Switzerland. After Mont Blanc, a half marathon through snow over Mont Buet, and a schedule that made people around me ask: “Did you actually think you were Superman?”
After 30 kilometres, with 30+°C heat in the Grindelwald valley and 3,000 metres of elevation gain I checked in with a medic on the course. After half an hour of sleep and a cola for an extra energy boost, I kept going. Until kilometre 44, when I knew: today isn’t the day. My first DNF (did not finish, luckily still my only one so far). My body told me what I didn’t want to hear. But that taught me something too. Honestly, every moment taught me something...
The triple herniation that once pulled me off a rock wall. The knee pain in Madeira after daily runs on beautiful trails, caused by too little food, too little strength, and yes… a bit of overtraining. My body was literally breaking itself down. Marjolein’s sprained ankle in Chamonix after Mont Blanc and then, incredibly, she still finished a surprise-run at the Eiger Trail after one phone call and a few targeted tips from our highly experienced physio, C-Roy Nimako.
Every setback had one thing in common: the right people around you, people who don’t tell you to quit, but help you figure out how to keep going, sustainably.
Who else has a mountain in their mind?
From hundreds of conversations on mountain trails, after training sessions, over coffee I keep hearing the same stories:
- “I’d love to climb Mont Blanc, but how do I even start training properly?”
- “That hut-to-hut trek has been on my list for three years, but I’m not physically ready.”
- “I train, but once I’m in the mountains, it still feels harder than expected.”
- “I want more… I just don’t know where to begin.”
I know that doubt. I’ve felt it too. But I also know what’s on the other side of it.
My “solution” was simple — though not necessarily easy. I went all in. I read countless books, spoke with specialists, listened to hours of videos and podcasts. And then: I tested. I experienced. I learned what worked for me… and maybe even more importantly, what didn’t.
Because in the end, the answer isn’t just knowledge — it’s applying it. Putting in the miles. Being willing to make mistakes and grow from them.
Over time, people started asking me:
“How do you approach this?”
“Where do you start?”
“What actually works?”
And without me even noticing, something new began to form. I realised how much energy I got from sharing my experiences from thinking along, coaching, guiding. From watching someone doubt themselves (and sometimes receive negative advice from their environment) and still take that first step. Maybe that’s the real reason I never stopped not only for my own mountain, but also to help others climb theirs.
Alpine Hub: for those who don’t train for the mirror, but for the view
Alpine Hub was born from one belief:
everything starts with a goal, no matter how unrealistic it may seem. With the right guidance, the right training, and the right people around you, you can go further than you think not by pushing harder, but by moving smarter and preparing both physically and mentally.
At Alpine Hub, we bring together:
- Goal-driven training for trail running, climbs, hikes, and ski trips, built around your goal, your body, your life
- Knowledge and guidance from professionals who understand what the mountains demand and what you need to get there
- A community of mountain lovers who understand why you get up early for a summit when it’s cold and dark, or go for your run even when it’s raining
- A place to train, recover, work, and feel inspired
Whether you dream of your first (ultra) trail run, a multi-day hut-to-hut trek, a classic alpine ascent, a ski touring trip, or a hike with your kids on your back, we’ll help you turn that dream into a concrete plan.
You don’t have to be Superman
Our son has been coming to the mountains with us since he was four months old. He’s six now and hopefully later this year he’ll spend less time on my back and more time walking on his own 🙂
You don’t have to be a top athlete. You don’t need endless time. You don’t need to be perfect.
What you do need is a goal and people around you who believe in you and help you move forward.
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Welcome to Alpine Hub.
Mountain fitness. Mountain spirit. For life.