Ueli Steck, the “Swiss Machine,” has yet again broken the record for a solo speed ascent of the North Face of the Eiger. On November 16, 2015, Steck took advantage of good weather and climbing conditions and pushed for the summit of the classic Heckmair Route (ED2, 1800m, 1938) in a mere 2 hours 22 minutes.
The Eiger, in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, has long been an iconic alpine testing ground, its severe north face visible and accessible from Grindelwald. The route boasts an impressive vertical gain of 1800 meters. In 2008, Steck smashed his own record by over an hour, clocking an impressive 2 hour 47 min summit. In 2011, Dani Arnold took the record at 2 hours 28 minutes using fixed ropes.
November 4, 2023 – Val Verzasca, Switzerland – The Verzasca Dam, an engineering marvel nestled in the picturesque Val Verzasca of Switzerland that stands 220 meters tall, became the stage for the climbing elite. Red Bull Dual Ascent, now in its
second edition, attracted 24 of the world's best…
After breaking his own record again on Monday, Steck said, “Now I know the difference between 2008 and 2015. Today I had a good track, good conditions and I was pulling some gear that made it quite safe and I believe it makes much more sense this way. I didn‘t push myself as hard as in 2008 and I felt very comfortable. This makes this ascent a beautiful experience and a great day.” Steck continued, “Furthermore it is a new record, but this was a result of the specific conditions. We can never compare ascents in a face like the Eiger. 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.”
The record breaking accent on November 16th was a finale for Steck, who has spent the last few weeks taking advantage of good conditions, attempting a number of routes on the Eiger with fellow climbers and trail runners, Nicolas Hojac and Killian Jornet.
Adam Ondra dominated the bouldering scene again and won a gold medal in the second World Cup competition in Salt Lake City. He took second place in the qualification and proceeded to the finals from the same position. This time, he was surprised by the victory and admits that a little luck was…
Adam Ondra completed today's finals in Meiringen, Switzerland, and won a gold medal in the first competition of this year's World Cup. He kept first place in bouldering continuously from the qualification until the very exciting finals. He was satisfied with his excellent form and appreciated a…
