Xaver Bongard

Xaver Bongard, born December 21, 1963, in Fribourg, is a Swiss mountaineer, ice climber, and BASE jumper, renowned for his innovative spirit and significant influence on the world of mountaineering. Nicknamed "Toto" by his family, he grew up in a German-speaking family and learned French in elementary school. At the age of twelve, he joined the Fribourg section of the Swiss Alpine Club and began training in the limestone cliffs of the Gastlosen. By eighteen, he had already completed major ascents such as the North Face of the Eiger and the Walker Pillar in the Grandes Jorasses. A metallurgist by training, he often modified and manufactured his own mountaineering equipment, a testament to his creativity and technical excellence.