Swiss climber Ueli Steck.
Swiss climber Ueli Steck sped up the north face of the Eiger in a mere two hours and 22 minutes. He booked it, averaging nearly 39 feet each minute.
They don’t call him the Swiss Machine for nothing.
Steck took advantage of good weather conditions on the famous mountaintop in Switzerland to ascend so quickly that he beat his previous 2008 record for the same climb, his website announced. He also beat Dani Arnold’s 2011 record by about five minutes. Steck held up a stopwatch at the top that displayed his total time.
The Heckmair Route that Steck took is a classic, winding sharply along the Eiger’s north face for a total of 5,500 feet, Climbing.com pointed out. My palms got sweaty just looking at the mountain.
The Eiger is a beast. Literally — it’s German for “ogre.” Five climbers died there during the infamous 1936 season, several from an avalanche. More recently, two climbers died during a horrific fall from the north face in 2000. Two others froze to death in a 2009 storm.
Clear, good weather was a key factor for Steck on Monday. He needed to move as fast as possible unhindered, ascending with a combination of rock and ice climbing.
“We can never compare ascents in a face like the Eiger,” Steck said on his website. “Conditions and weather are always different. But this is what makes alpinism interesting and unique. For me it is the personal challenge and your own experience that really matters.”
Breaking his own record on the Heckmair Route was just the cherry on top of a multi-week stretch spent climbing different routes in clear conditions. He, along with fellow climber Kilian Jornet, di da full Eiger ascent together on November 8. They started out running and speed-hiking from the Grindelwald base, and finished in 10 hours roundtrip. All in a day’s work.
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