In a world dominated by Google Earth and WhatsApp, it’s hard to find truly untrammeled places with never before attempted routes or fresh ski lines. Jacob hit adventurer paydirt over 20 years ago when he and partner Conny Zamernik first ventured south from their Tyrollean ski lodge in St Anton am Arlberg, to Patagonia, and were handed a map of the southern part of the country’s coast by the Chilean ambassador. Embarking on an adventure with a hand-drawn map has since become their modus operandi, and aided by an incredible tolerance for extreme wind, isolation and wild scenarios, has led to telemark skiing exploits in Tibet, the Wakon region in Afghanistan, Peru, Columbia, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Greenland, Spitzbergen and Japan, as well numerous first descents throughout the Alps and Patagonia. Jacob has shared his adventures through his writing, photography and film-making, while remaining a dedicated preservationist, keen to protect the huge powder ski days of his home range and the wildness of his home-away-from-home from over-exploitation. From that first trip to El Chalten, Jacob’s unwritten rule was never to publicise their adventures there – if the locals wanted to develop El Chalten, it would be their choice. Having skied all around the world, his preference for isolated locales lends to his current ski-mountaineering focus – the polar regions and as ever, Patagonia.

Achievements

• Deep knowledge of the Arlberg
• More than 20 trips to Patagonia with many first ascents and descents, including Cordillera Sarmiento, Northern and Southern ice-caps
• An everlasting source of project ideas
• Award winning filmmaker
• Telemark skier
• Founder of Polar Projects Foundation with Martin Schøber and Conny Zamernik