Last Friday, I spent the day at Rehacare 2025, a trade show dedicated to products and opportunities for people with disabilities. Beyond the exhibition halls filled with innovative solutions and assistive technologies, one space in particular stood out to me: the sports activity hall. That’s where I discovered Climb High!, a group that brings free climbing to people of all abilities.

Scaling The Wall Against The Odds

They had set up a full climbing wall and welcomed anyone who wanted to give it a try. Harnesses clicked, ropes tightened, encouragement echoed across the hall — and slowly but surely, people found themselves scaling the wall, often against all odds.

Among the climbers was Lothar. Watching him was unforgettable. He climbed without arms, relying entirely on his legs, his balance, and an incredible amount of core strength. Every movement looked deliberate, measured, determined. When he reached up with his body and pushed himself further, the entire wall seemed to shift in meaning — it wasn’t just a sport, it was a demonstration of resilience and presence.

Before the ascent

Photograph by Christian Stops ©2025

Last look from the ground

Photograph by Christian Stops ©2025

On his first couple of steps up

Photograph by Christian Stops ©2025

Later, I had the chance to talk to him. Lothar told me he was born without arms. There was no medical explanation for it — and, as he put it with a calm and matter-of-fact smile, he didn’t need one. That simple statement carried as much weight as the climb itself: no need for reasons, no need for excuses, just living fully in the body you have.

Through my lens, I wanted to capture not just the act of climbing but the spirit behind it — the way strength and vulnerability, challenge and triumph, all converged on that wall. Photographing Lothar and the others reminded me why I pick up a camera in the first place: to bear witness to human courage in its countless forms.

Climb High! calls their work “climbing without limits,” and I can’t think of a better description.

Fearlessness

Photograph by Christian Stops ©2025

A winner’s grin

Photograph by Christian Stops ©2025

Two thumbs up

Photograph by Christian Stops ©2025