Siebe Vanhee

CLIMBER - TRAD / BIGWALL

Siebe Vanhee describes himself as “a rock climber and a globetrotter” and for a young man he has already enjoyed an incredibly diverse range of climbing experiences around the world. Passionate about everything from sport climbing to big wall adventures, he is constantly exploring new directions and styles to see where his interests and skills take him.

Biography

Having climbed indoors since he was ten years old, the Belgian was an early fan of sport climbing, taking part in his first competition in 2002, at the age of 11. Talented and hard-working, he became Belgian youth champion four times in a row, earned second place at the Belgian Bouldering Championships in 2009 and 2010, and represented his country in the European Youth Cup.

Despite his competitive success, his most treasured personal experiences came through rock climbing outdoors where he felt energised and excited by the mountain landscapes. Between the ages of 14 and 18 he left Belgium every summer to explore European mountains. When he turned 18, he embarked on a two-month odyssey in the USA and Canada where he discovered trad climbing. It was a moment that changed his life. Fascinated by the mental discipline and physical elegance required and the vast opportunities for new adventures, he felt as though he had discovered a whole new world of climbing.

Hungry for more, the following year he embarked on the ultimate climbing ‘gap year’, buying a van and returning to North America for another seven months, where he tried everything from bouldering to big wall ascents in Yosemite and the Bugaboos. Since then he’s travelled the world in search of new challenges. In 2012 he flew to Venezuela, where he helped to open a 21-pitch line – ‘Kids With Guns’ - on the table mountain Amuri Tepui. He has also opened new routes at Piedra Parada, Argentina, free climbed the Greenspit roof crack in Italy, and ascended big walls in Greenland. In the future he plans to test himself on the big walls of Pakistan.

Siebe has a unique vision for climbing. He is currently studying to become a social worker at the Social School Heverlee (UCLL) and believes climbing can teach invaluable life lessons. The symbolic journey from base to summit, the need to overcome fear and acquire new skills, is a universal message he wishes to promote. To develop your climbing is to develop yourself, and Siebe is now fully determined to seek out new adventures – and new personal challenges - every year.