Szilárd Suhajda and Dávid Klein are Hungarian climbers and great guys who, without the help of supplemental oxygen, conquer the world's highest peaks. Our longstanding and very successful cooperation is, therefore, something we are very proud of.

But even though "we" were able to conquer such peaks as Manaslu (8163  metres), Annapurna (8091 meters) or K2 (8611 metres) and we are going to conquer Everest peak in 2021, our cooperation includes much more.

In Szilárd and David, we, first of all, found two honest men and good friends who help us develop our products and inspire us with their stories from the mountains.

We sat down to chat with Dávid and it was, as usual, an exciting conversation.

What was 2019 like for you? Did this year meet your expectations?

2019 was great for us as a team – the EventHorizont (Eseményhorizont) climbing team - and for me personally. Of course, there was the successful K2 expedition, during which my great friend and climbing partner Szilárd stood on the second highest mountain of Earth.

Due to severe sickness I had to retreat from Camp3 (7400m) to Base Camp, which was a disappointment. I also wanted to reach the summit and stand there with my friend Szilárd – we wanted to reach it together. But I can  clearly see, that I contributed to the success of this expedition and although I stood on four eight-thousanders without the use of supplemental oxygen and 2 of them were first Hungarian ascents, yet I still say this expedition is one of the dearest expeditions to my heart and I consider this year one of my most successful years, even if I didn´t stand on the summit.

It was an exciting year, and I feel I have grown personally, and we‘ve grown as climbing partners.

And how 2020 should be? What are the biggest challenges ahead of you?

I look forward to 2020 with great excitement and of course, with great expectations. Szilárd and I are going to Makalu, which is a Himalayan giant of course, but we have to admit that we are going to Makalu also because in 2021 we will return to Mount Everest.

So in 2020, we want to test everything we are going to use in 2021 on Everest. We look at Makalu as a standalone expedition, as a great challenge, but at the same time, we look forward to 2021.

We have been working together for several years.  What is the story behind our cooperation, and what do you like most about ZAJO?

ZAJO and us, the Eseményhorizont team, we´ve been working together from 2015, so it´s been several years now. I feel like it´s a great partnership. Of course, we are happy about receiving all these excellent gear and having first-class equipment, but it´s a little bit more than that. ZAJO listens to us.

Every year, when we return from an expedition, we are going to Galanta, Slovakia (headquarters of ZAJO) and we show them what happened, how we would like to change the products and our feedbacks help evolving these products for several years. We really appreciate that Zajo doesn‘t only use the expeditions to showing off their products, but they also listen to our feedback to improve their products, and that´s a great feeling.

What is your motivation for what you do? What keeps you going to the next peaks? If, for example, you could climb all eight-thousanders without oxygen, what would be the next step?

Many people ask me what will happen after Everest. Of course, to climb Everest without oxygen has been a great dream for me for many years.

But I don´t really understand it.

We are going to the mountains because we love nature, we love the challenge, we love just being in the outdoors and trying ourselves on rock faces, on ice climbs, in the Himalayas or just here, on the local climbing crag.

If you don´t go to mountains to break records all the time, or you don´t have a map at home, sticking little red flags and ticking out all the important climbs, but you go because you love mountains, this love will keep you going forever.

I mean, yes, I will be old eventually, I will be weaker, and maybe in 20 years from now, I will be reaching Gellért hill, which is a small hill in Budapest, with a walking stick. But still, that will be my mountain on that day. 

What is the best part of any expedition?

Expeditions are complex things, and they have many layers. Of course, there´s a technical challenge, and you need to solve the problems. But there is also an adventure, comradery, and there´s the emotional side – sometimes, you are very excited and sometimes, you feel you are done, and you have to find motivation within yourself, or you have to help your fellow climber to find it together.

For me, this complexity is a big thing. You are doing something that explorers were doing hundreds of years ago. You immerse yourself in these cultures, and you challenge yourself emotionally and physically.

In the end, if you stick to your principles, you don´t leave garbage on the mountain, you are loyal to your climbing partner, and you try your best than it was a successful expedition.

Have you ever been in real danger? Will such experiences change a person?

Yes, I had to face real danger and life-threatening situations several times in my career. I do consider myself a conservative climber. For me, the danger is not a spice of the game. I´m trying to do my best, to eliminate danger as much as possible.

But I have to admit, that even with all these efforts, there will be always some real danger.

I  lost a good friend, in 2010, when a wall of ice has collapsed and swept us away. I survived, he did not.

I hope, that Szillárd and I will always do our best to increase our chances of success by training and by strong preparations, without more danger in the equation.

In 2021, you plan to conquer Everest without the help of oxygen, which you have tried in the past. What are your expectations? How difficult is it to turn around when a person is so close to the top?

Yes, I´ve tried several times. In 2014, I had reached an altitude of 8700 meters before turning around. It showed me two things. First, this is a very difficult task. It´s somewhere near my limit and my abilities. But it also showed me that it is probably possible for me. Not easily, but probably possible.  I´m excited, and I´m a little scared because I don´t know if I can really do it.

And if it is easy to turn back so close to the summit? No, it isn´t. Yes, I say that I´m strict climber, I follow my principles, and if I make an agreement with myself that I will turn around at a certain time, I will turn around at a certain time. But it´s still not easy.

During a summit push, it can be difficult to get motivated. Your body is crying for oxygen, you are tired, and you are just going, meter after meter. But at a certain point, something changes and the summit becomes a magnet. From this moment, it´s more challenging to turn around than to continue. It´s a difficult mental game.

And it´s something that Szilárd and I are also going to examine in 2020.

If one wants to conquer the highest peaks like you, where should he start?

Dreams are very important. I was a teenager when I started to dream about climbing the big mountains, the Himalayas. But like everybody else, I started with small rocks.

I think that the community is essential, so it´s a good idea to join a climbing club, go to climbing courses and start with our local hills. Remember your dream, but work for your dream.