Christoph Hainz

Christoph Hainz (born 23 July 1962) is an Italian climber, mountaineering allrounder, professional mountain guide and author from the German-speaking province of South Tyrol. Hainz has made over 2000 mountain tours, climbing routes up to grade X/X+, ice climbing and mixed routes up to grade M13 and numerous alpine routes up until grade 10. In the Dolomites alone he opened about 40 first ascents up to difficulty level X. His special achievements include the fastest solo ascent of Fitz Roy in Patagonia in 9 hours and the first ascent of Shivling North Pillar together with Hans Kammerlander in India in 1993. In 1997, he climbed the Superdirettissima in the north face of the Grosse Zinne alone in 8 hours.

Early life and education Hainz was born in Mühlbach, South Tyrol. He grew up with his uncle and aunt on a farm at 1500m above sea level. After finishing school he became a car mechanic. He started climbing at age 20, because he did not have any free time before.

Career It was not until 1990, that he became a certified mountain guide and skiing instructor and ski mountaineering guide. Since 1998 he has been a member of the instructing team of the South Tyrolean mountain and ski guides. In 1999 he became a sports climbing and canyoning teacher.

In the summer of 2014 he climbed the Comici route of the Grosse Zinne Northface in only 48 minutes.

Because of his special relationship to the Drei Zinnen he has been nicknamed "the Zinnenmann", also the name of a documentary.

In 2016, servusTV filmed him and Axel Naglich ski climb the Ortler and ski down the Minnigerode channel, a 50 degree piste, while Speedriding pilots Armin and Guido Senoner flew along.

In 2018 and 2019, he led German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Lukas Meindl onto various peaks like Schwarzenstein (3365 meter) and Floitenspitz.

Personal life Hainz was married from 1995 to 2011 and lived in Reischach (Riscone), near Brixen South Tyrol. He has a daughter. Since 2011, he has been living in Nasen, South Tyrol.