#AboveTheSea – A Deep Water Solo Vlog Series

Jakob Schubert recently returned from a deep water solo trip to Mallorca. In his bag? Seven action-filled vlogs documenting amazing (new) climbs and sharing personal moments as he meets fellow climbers like Chris Sharma, Jan Hojer, and Michael Piccolruaz along the way. Now available on his youtube channel.

Jakob, the trip was documented in a series of vlogs. What was the idea behind that?

The original intention was to live-stream some of the climbs, but the bad signal along the coast put paid to that. I still think it would have been a very cool experience, but now I think the vlogs have done an even better job of capturing the lifestyle and vibe of such a trip and I particularly enjoyed sharing some more personal insights with the people following my adventures.

Do you have a favorite episode?

Each episode has its own flavour, but I'd say #1, #5 and #7 are my personal favourites for the ascents (including some really amazing first ascents), #6 for showing what it's like to climb when the ocean is rough.

In vlog #7 we see you getting your hardest first ascent in deep water soloing yet. Have you saved the best for last?

Yes, in the sense that the first ascent of "Jelly Pain" in Canyamel was definitely the hardest route opened this trip. I think it checks in at around 8c+. In terms of emotion, the first ascents of “Mischa line” (vlog #1) or “Su Majestad” ( vlog #5 ) were no less spectacular, as they were some of the biggest fights I've ever had.

Chris Sharma came along for that final day in Canyamel?

Yes, it was cool to have Chris with us. I've enjoyed climbing many of his routes over the last few decades and my love for deep-water soloing, or psicobloc as it's called on the island, is a result of Chris' efforts and the amount of exploration he's put in over the years. I don't want to give too much away, but the day at Canyamel, which is featured in vlog #7, was a special one with Chris trying his project “Vision Quest” and me getting on an unclimbed 8c+.

Jakob, back in 2021 you went to Mallorca for the first time and described the experience as nothing less than your best trip ever. How did the second trip compare to the first?

They were completely different trips and fortunately there is no need to rank them. Back in 2021 it was my first deep water solo experience at all and the focus was on Alasha and Es Pontas, two of the hardest and most famous DWS climbs in the world. Even then we felt the curiosity to try something new and search for unclimbed lines. That was definitely the focus of this trip.

How would you describe what you found?

We definitely found a few gems. Firstly, Chris Sharma's Canyamel area, which he recently discovered, is a fantastic addition to the best crags on the island. Also, Mischa (a.k.a. Michael Piccolruaz) and I did almost a dozen first ascents that I'm sure will get attention in the future.

What do you like about deep-water soloing? Does the danger add spice to the experience?

I like the simplicity, the intensity and the commitment involved. In general, I would say you can limit the danger of deep water soloing quite a bit if you do it the right way. However, you definitely have to go a lot further out of your comfort zone to fight your way up 15 metres above the water with really pumped-up forearms. For example, Chris had a really bad fall on his project, which he recently climbed and now goes by the name of "Vision Quest". You can see it in vlog #7, and it just illustrates that for all the fun, DWS climbing still has to be taken seriously.

Are there any tips and tricks you can share regarding deep-water soloing?

There are many things to consider, and I actually received a lot of questions after the first few episodes were dropped. I plan to do a live Q&A to answer them soon, so feel free to chime in in the comments on YouTube and follow my channel to get notified.