Introducing Chris Cope
Nici Burk is a 25-year-old alpinist and mountain athlete with a strong focus on ice climbing, mixed climbing, and ski touring. Drawn to long days in demanding winter and high-alpine environments, she thrives in the cold, complex terrain where commitment and judgement matter most. Increasingly, she combines alpinism with paragliding opening creative approaches to routes and transforming descents into part of the adventure itself.
Nici began climbing indoors at 11 before quickly transitioning to outdoor rock. Through structured training, she was introduced to multi-pitch climbing, alpine routes, and ski touring, steadily building a broad skillset across disciplines. Winter has always held a particular pull. Ice and mixed climbing with their technical precision, exposure, and ever-changing conditions are where she feels most inspired.
Motivated by exploration rather than reputation, Nici is drawn to quiet tours and remote landscapes where immersion in the mountains feels complete. She is less interested in well-known summits and more captivated by elegant, logical lines especially in the Western Alps, the kind you look at and instantly know you want to climb. For her, alpinism is an ongoing process of learning, pushing physical and mental limits, and gradually expanding her understanding of mountain ranges beyond the Alps.
A defining experience was a ski expedition through Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park. Travelling with a close friend on skis and pulkas, they moved through untouched winter terrain far from trails or reception. Freezing nights, unpredictable weather, and isolation brought challenge, but also moments of lasting clarity ,first light on glaciers, paragliding above endless snowfields, and northern lights over their tent. It was an expedition less about performance and more about simplicity, friendship, and the joy of simply being there.
Nici began climbing indoors at 11 before quickly transitioning to outdoor rock. Through structured training, she was introduced to multi-pitch climbing, alpine routes, and ski touring, steadily building a broad skillset across disciplines. Winter has always held a particular pull. Ice and mixed climbing with their technical precision, exposure, and ever-changing conditions are where she feels most inspired.
Motivated by exploration rather than reputation, Nici is drawn to quiet tours and remote landscapes where immersion in the mountains feels complete. She is less interested in well-known summits and more captivated by elegant, logical lines especially in the Western Alps, the kind you look at and instantly know you want to climb. For her, alpinism is an ongoing process of learning, pushing physical and mental limits, and gradually expanding her understanding of mountain ranges beyond the Alps.
A defining experience was a ski expedition through Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park. Travelling with a close friend on skis and pulkas, they moved through untouched winter terrain far from trails or reception. Freezing nights, unpredictable weather, and isolation brought challenge, but also moments of lasting clarity ,first light on glaciers, paragliding above endless snowfields, and northern lights over their tent. It was an expedition less about performance and more about simplicity, friendship, and the joy of simply being there.
Key Achievements
2020 - 2025 - Multiple alpine ice and mixed climbing ascents across the Alps
2024 - Grandes Jorasses South Face – Diamond Ridge (1600 m, 5c, A0) | Self-supported ski expedition in Norway | Para-alpinism project: Aletschhorn – paragliding from Fiesch, thermal flight to the Aletschhorn ridge, climbing the ridge, takeoff from the summit and flight back into the valley
2023 - Expedition to Kyrgyzstan
“The mountains reward patience, curiosity and commitment, not shortcuts. I’m not chasing summits; I’m following lines that feel right.” - Nici Burk