by Bjorn Pohl

Standing at the Arlanda airport in Sweden, waiting for the usual delayed flight we really didn't know what to expect. Sure we knew a lot of hard facts about the guy, so and so many Fb 8b+ (V14) boulder problems, and yeah, we knew he was supposed to be a nice, laid back guy, but what you hear and reality are rarely the same thing.

Since the plane Klem was on arrived from Brussels, it wasn't very hard to "spot the climber," or as Klem would put it "a headless chicken could have done it." 99% suits and one guy wearing only Prana ("I haven't bought any clothes for two years"), except for the 5.10 sneakers. Klem immediately turned out to be very easy going and open. We jumped into the car and drove to a restaurant to eat.

Klem on the first move of Code Red, 7c+ or 8a (V10/11).

From: Salzburg, Austria
Born: 1974
Started climbing: 1989
First 7c(5.12d): 1990
First 8b(5.13d): 1991
First 8c (5.14b): 1993
First 8c+(5.14c): 1995
First 9a (5.14d): 1996
Hardest Redpoint: 9a/5.14d (3)
Hardest Flash: 8b+/5.14a
Hardest boulder problem: Fb 8b+ /V14 (3)
Hardest boulder problem flash: Fb 8a+/V12 (3)

On the following day, we went out to the "Brudberget" bouldering area. Chris, the photographer, picked us up in his post mobile and after waiting for a few (mostly Peter Bosma) late people we were off. The weather was unusually hot for this time of year at 25 degrees  Celsius and the humidity was pretty high. Not really perfect conditions...but still, the weather was awesome!

The first  thing we did when we got there was to take Klem around the area, showing problems, projects etc. He instantly fell for the sit start project to the problem Tromb, 7b+ (V8).

Code red, 7c+ or 8a (V10/11)
After quickly dispatching Tromb, he got to work. Despite the "less than perfect" conditions and two taped fingertips he did it, but he had to fight, which was sort of encouraging. Success was somewhat delayed because one of the edges was all bloody from one of Klem's fingers... Klem didn't notice this at first but kept saying the edge felt as if it was wet.

Klem on Code Red, 7c+ or 8a (V10/11).

Michael Myer on Aussie Boys, 6c+ (V4).

Super cool, 7c or 7c+ (V9/10) 
During the time Klem had been working Code red a few of the other guys had found, cleaned and done a new, beautiful arete: Aussie boys, 6c+ (V4). Klem quickly did it and then got wild. He had discovered a new line. "Whoa! This line is super cool, I have to do it!" The problem Klem had found was the severely overhanging start of Aussie boys. Klem did it on his third or fourth try and was VERY happy. This problem has everything. Heelhooks, toehooks, dynos, a lock off, a jam, crimpers, slopers, underclings and a kneebar. And all of this in just 12 moves. "You can't find a better problem than this one in Fontainbleau."

Ballistic brother
After this he went on to try the Ballistic brother dyno project. This dyno is, according to Klem, both longer and harder than the famous Hale bopp, 7c+/8a (V10/11). Klem was very close to sticking it on his fourth try but didn't have the energy to keep trying. This display of power was the most impressive I've ever seen anywhere, simply unbelievable!

Seminar day

Next day was "D-day". We got up pretty early, had some breakfast at the 7/11 and then went to the gym. The first seminar started at 10:00 a.m. and finished at 1:00 p.m.

Klem's goal with the seminar was to give the participants tools to improve their climbing. Most of the seminar consisted of discussions about the most efficient ways of coming to terms with one's weaknesses, and how to make the exercises you do indoors correspond to the difficulties you find on a route or problem outdoors. Klem answered questions like: Which style is useful on what kind of climbing? What about the mental part? How do you block out "disturbing thoughts"? What are the basics of climbing? Klem also showed different excersises you could do to improve different parts of your technique. When Klem trains he tries to always be aware of what he is doing. Also, he's not afraid to learn from other climbers. When he sees a climber doing something in a really good way he often tries to adopt this to his own style if it suits him. It doesn't matter if it's only a very small detail, because it's the small details that makes the whole. The reason people often focus on increasing their power and reducing their weight is probably because these factors are reasonably easy to control, whereas it's much harder to train fluidity, feeling or focus. Training efficiently is very much a mind game. If your mind is somewhere else, you might as well take a rest day. Klem is actually the ideal trainer since he gets motivated by motivating people.

Klem's climbing seminar.

This video features: one 8b+/V14  boulder problem (Klem), eight 8b/V13 boulder problems (Klem, Markus Bock, Werner Thon, Toni Lamprecht), one 8a+/V12 (Toni) boulder problem, one 8a/V11 (Klem) boulder problem, one 9a/5.14d route (Klem), two 8c/5.14b routes (Klem, Toni), one 8b+/5.14a flash (Klem), and "Trench warfare", 5.12d, every climbers nightmare... Check out www.nadventure.com for more on this awesome video.

The film was an instant hit and everybody liked it. My advice to you is: Buy it as soon as you have the possibility (I'm not paid to say this)! After the film we had a party and...I'll spare you the details. Everyone had a good time though and we ended up drinking whisky at a friends place until 3.30 in the morning, when Klem fell asleep.

Klem was really satisfied with his visit to Sweden and will probably return next year for a longer visit.