Lausanne, Switzerland – 28 October 2025
One of Austria’s top ski mountaineering athletes, Paul Verbnjak, shares insights into his training routines and the specialist equipment behind top-level ski mountaineering performance.
At just 23, Verbnjak is already among the world’s best. A double U23 European Champion and World Cup medalist, he grew up in Carinthia with a clear goal — to be faster than his father, a former ski mountaineer himself. “Crossing the finish line exhausted but happy — that feeling is unique,” he says.
Every gram of equipment counts. Ultra-light skis, bindings and suits are optimized for efficiency, but it’s the athlete who makes the difference. “If you have to think during a race, it’s already too late,” Verbnjak notes. “Everything must be automatic.”
His training blends endurance, altitude work and speed, supported by his experience as a professional cyclist with the Lidl–Trek Future Team. “In the end,” he says, “when your body is empty, it’s your mind that decides whether you win or fade.”