Santi Padrós, alpinist, climber, UIAGM-Canyoning High Mountain Guide and Trangoworld ambassador, has been selected to join the Spanish High Mountain Group (GAME) of the Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports and Climbing. The GAME is the reference group for the most committed alpinists in the country, with the aim of promoting Spanish alpinism at the highest international level.
Santi Padrós: "For me, it is a sporting recognition and an honour to be part of this team that represents the country"
Santi himself values his entry into the group as follows: "For me, it is a sporting recognition and an honour to be part of this team that represents the country", and he hopes to continue developing his goals "in a clean, pure, fun and kind way towards the world".
This way of understanding the mountains and alpinism is what he intends to bring with him: "a modern, light, fast, difficult, exploratory alpinism — not only in remote countries, but also within Europe, where there are still corners to explore, always carrying with me a way of thinking and acting as cleanly as possible".
He also highlights the constant learning the mountains offer him, saying he learns "from every person". He therefore believes that his joining the GAME and the contributions of his teammates will help him continue developing his "way of thinking, acting and practising alpinism at a world level".
Next projects: technique and commitment in high mountain
Looking ahead, Santi is clear about his next goal. "For years I've been thinking about finding a beautiful wall in a place with a certain level of commitment, up to 6,000 or 7,000 metres, where I can complete a difficult route whose metres, from the first to the last, are technically demanding", he explains.
For him, it is essential that the technical aspect is the most important element, involving the use of ice axes and crampons on mixed terrain: "Routes of 1,000 metres would be fantastic. I want to find this somewhere in the world to express the alpinism I have developed up to today and that I will continue practising at a high level in the years ahead".
How is high-level alpinism evolving?
Santi also offers a reflection on the current state of alpinism. Despite the growing number of people practising mountain sports, he is clear that alpinism remains "quite anarchic", without regulated competitions like those that exist in other sports.
He believes that the commitment of difficult alpinism — involving speed, difficulty and high-altitude climbing — combined with today's advances in equipment, gear, psychology, training and medicine, is gradually helping push the limits further.
"It is also true that most of the classic lines, or those that most appeal to the human eye, have already been climbed. That is why alpinism is now moving towards smoother walls, with fewer protection possibilities, which are raising the difficulty level of routes considerably", he reflects.
With his entry into the GAME, Santi Padrós brings an ethical, technical and contemporary perspective to alpinism — a discipline that continues to evolve thanks to the commitment of people like him.
What is the Spanish High Mountain Group (GAME) of the FEDME?
The GAME brings together the most outstanding high mountain alpinists and climbers in Spain. Since last April, it has been led by Rafa Vadillo. This new intake includes ten men — Iker and Eneko Pou, Juan Carlos Guichot 'Papila', Santi Padrós, Bru Busom, Toño Carasol, Ximo Fuertes, José Manuel Vinchés, Eduardo Muñoz and Pancho Gómez — and seven women — Marina Fernández, Lucía Guichot, Nieves Gil, Sonia Casas, Miriam Marco, Esther Fresneda and Pipi Cardell.
