The Portrait

Red Chili Founder Stefan Glowacz

Basically, Stefan Glowacz had no other choice than to become one of the most successful alpinists ever. At an early age his parents shared with him their love of the mountains and different terrains that he would later claim as home. When Glowacz speaks of those childhood memories, it seems he was always destined to climb. "As a child, I climbed on every rock while on hikes with my parents." His fascination with rocks never let go of him, even when the rocks became steeper and the surrounding terrain evermore treacherous. His relentless motivation enabled him to continue onwards and upwards

to meet new challenges. It’s this mixture of humility, childish curiosity, and indescribable pride that sends SG, born in 1965, to all areas of the world. His parents laid the groundwork, but his own ambition transformed him into an all round climber and self-made entrepreneur. In the late 80s, many lived to climb, but Glowacz wanted more , he wanted to climb to live. He discovered early that his passion may not end with rappelling, in order to transform it into a profession and that "work" for real pro's

started at the bottom of the vertical wall. Glowacz won the prestigious Rock Masters in Arco, Italy and was invited as a guest on the television show "Das Aktuelle Sportstudio" in Germany and acted in the Werner Herzog movie "Der Schrei aus Stein". Being the foster child of the mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner, he ultimately became the precursor of the free climbing movement. In addition, Glowacz always kept on moving forward himself. An ankle injury introduced him to the agony which only helps mold best athletes.

For every high, there is almost sure to be a low. He conquered this injury and fought his way back to the top. He ended his competitive career in 1993, and began dedicating his talents to undiscovered, remote walls of the world, enriching his personal goals. The journeys to the climbs have become as important as the actual climb itself. By Jeep through the Namibian desert, on skis through Patagonian ice, or in a canoe in the Venezuelan jungle, it no longer only matters how difficult the route is, rather where it is. Especially a place where experience, endurance, and ability to survey situations quickly have proven as important as his speed and élan did in his younger years. Glowacz’s followers are working as hard

as he once did himself at the limits of climbing potential, the matured climber Glowacz now works at the limits of civilization. Glowacz continues his leadership, sharing his experiences of mobility be it vertical or horizontal, or if creativity or endurance is most important. He gives speeches to leaders of the international business world and owns Red Chili, makers of climbing equipment. The first climbed rock, more than 30 years ago, has led him to the steepest walls, the deepest valleys, the German National Soccer Team and many wellknown German companies. Whether he was climbing competitively, building his company, speaking to the public, or discovering new territories, he has never chosen the simple path. Instead he tapped into his ability to master the extraordinary. Stefan Glowacz is the father of triplets.