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News
Back on the Mountain
19. Januar 2010 Ueli Steck, the talented and speedy Swiss mountaineer, has soloed the Ginat route (ED: V M4+ 85 degrees, 1000m), the classic north-face line on Les Droites (4001m) in the French Alps above Chamonix. Though the ice route has been solo climbed numerous times, Steck made the ascent on January 19 in what may be record time: 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Photographer Jonathan Griffith said that Steck climbed the route for fun, not speed. Prior to the ascent, Steck had neither alpine climbed for two months nor fully acclimatized. Griffith added that Steck's speed is particularly notable when considering that "the route was pretty inundated with powder, which made progress pretty slow for him at times."
"There was no track and the route had not seen an ascent yet this year," Griffith wrote on his blog. "Once up on the headwall Ueli picked up speed again and cruised through the difficulties. Thin ice on the final pitch of the headwall forced him to take the harder mixed variation which 1000m off the deck is a serious proposition. As we sat barely 100m away in a helicopter filming even Pascal Brun, the legendary heli pilot from Chamonix who must have seen everything there is to see in the Alps, commented about how amazingly agile and at home he looked on even this hard section."
Christophe Profit, the French alpinist famous for his difficult solo climbs and enchainments, previously held the fastest recorded ascent of the Ginat route with a time of 2:30.
Look back at 2009
Dezember 15, 2009
Since four years I string together expedition to expedition, project to project. Everything started with Khumbu Express in 2005, followed by the summit success on Gasherbrum II over the east summit, the speed records on the Eigernorthface in 2007 and 2008, the first free climb of „Paciencia“ on the Eigernorthface (2008), the speed record on Grandes Jorasses (December 2008) and speed record on Matterhorn at the beginning of this year. In June I redpoint the legendary route „Golden Gate“ at El Cap in the USA. Short afterwards I summitted Gasherbrum II (8035m), my first summit over 8000 ever. In September I succeed on Makalu (8463m). What comes next?
My ambition is still the same, my head full of ideas and my zest for action still frenetic. Nevertheless I have to learn to accept these success. I need to take more breaks, to see all these things under a different point of view, to analyse and not to always question everything. This also belongs to success. I am sane and I have the great fortune to still do what I am doing and what I am living for: climbing and mountaineering. Together with Simon Trachsel, who is following me since a couple of years we have planned to see the upcoming year as a build up one. If I want to keep my performance upright I will have to build up seriously. My goal is to develop my climbing performance and my endurance. I do not plan any great expedition for next year. So I can focus on my workout seriously and I will also have more time for my sponsors. I will concentrate on my projects in the Alps and a trip to the Yosemite is also planned. For 2011 I will focus again on projects in the Himalaya.
Maybe one day I will succeed on Makalu over the west pillar or with the Annapurna southface. As said: I have plenty of ideas.
At present I am very busy with my book, which is planned to appear on September 1, 2010. The follow up book of Solo from MALIK NG has up to today been sold 20'000 times.
Along with the book a documentary film is planned with our local TV broadcast SF DRS. Out of it a DVD of the speed trilogy should arise. The writing and filming are tasks, which are very time demanding.
On January and February 2011 I will go on tour again with Explora and up to now 35 slideshows are scheduled.
Expedition Gasherbrum II (8035m) – Final report
August 6, 2009
A little bit earlier than scheduled my wife and I returned back to Switzerland. So I have enough time to pack the rest for the upcoming Makalu expedition and to get some rest, before I will definitively leave for Nepal on August 20, 2009.I am very happy about the Gasherbrum expedition. Though Gasherbrum II is a quite easy peak to climb and though the weather was very unstable, with high winds and a lot of precipitations, I could celebrate my first ascent on a peak over 8000 meters. Celebrate is not really the right word to use: with 5 minutes peak stop and the upcoming descent back to camp 2, my euphoria was quite modest. A lot of snow shaped the season. I left camp 2 at 6500 meters on July 9 towards summit. I struggled myself through deep snow, which was either knee or hip deep. 12 hours I dug myself through the snow. On the summit pyramid I was about to give up. „What is this all about“, I told myself after hours of tracking through the deep snow. I can’t be so far anymore to the summit, I thought, and mountaineering is just a matter of will. „Move on“, was my device.
When I finally reached the summit the wind was so strong, that I could stand only bent. Afterwards I was happy, that the weather conditions were so bad. With wind speeds of 50 to 60 km/h, approx. minuse 25 degrees celcius and plenty of snow I could test my equipment. And I know now, how fast I can climb in this altitude. The descent back to camp 2 took me only 2 ½ hours.As usual I recorded everything very carefully. So I was able to complete the missing information I needed.
My motivation is very high. With the route „Golden Gate“ at El Capitan in the United States this spring, which I was able to free climb and with my ascent on Gasherbrum II (8035m) in Pakistan I could realise two completely different projects. Expressed very simply: these two projects cannot be more contrary. Personally these are two big achievements for me. The complexity of my work out for the upcoming expedition to Nepal is huge. I think I have done a good job. They give me the necessary confidence and confirmation that my training schedule was not totally wrong.
Unfortunately I could not realise a second summit ascent together with my wife. The weather was too bad and we still wanted to do some climbing in another part of the region.
These were unforgettable weeks in Pakistan. We gained new friends. The Pakistani who accompanied us, our porters who helped us to carry our equipment to BC were wonderful people. The landscape was unique, simply breathtaking.
The Makalu expedition will start shortly and I will inform you about the expedition soon.
Summit success for Ueli Steck at Gasherbrum II main peak (8035m)
July 9, 2009
Almost exactly three years after in 2006 I summited the east summit of Gasherbrum II (7772m), I reached the main summit of 8035m high Gasherbrum II. 2006 Hans Mitterer, Cedric Hählen and first ascended - coming from the Chinese side - a new route. It was the first route from the north side (This was 2006).
After my wife Nicole and I spent two months in the States climbing, we flew to Pakistan on June 8, 2009. In America I redpointed the legendary route „Golden Gate“ at El Capitan. Another success in my carreer as a professional alpinist. I nearly missed being the first person to climb a route on sight at the monolith of granit in the Yosemite National Park. I fell off a crack in a relatively simple pitch. Several pitches in the 10th grade of difficulty I climbed all in the first try. Rock climbing legends such as Yuji Hirayama or Tommy Caldwell needed different tries, to climb these difficult passages.
Now the situation is completely different. For my preparation and acclimatisation I climb Gasherbrum II main summit. It is my first peak of a mountain over 8000 meters. In autumn I would like to fulfil my long lasting project and climb a mountain over 8000 meters over a technical demanding route solo.
The conditions are not really ideal. After a four days break at the base camp, Nicole and I start towards camp 1 once more on July 6, which lies at 5900 meters. The weather is very unstable. One meter of fresh snow has fallen. On July 7 we planned to move towards camp 2. The danger of avalanches is high. We spend another day at camp 1 and the sky is deep blue. Nobody moves on. On July 8, at 6 o’clock in the morning, Nicole and I set off for camp 2. We are not sure, if it is possible to continue our way under these particular conditions. The snow conditions are still very precarious. Carefully we move on. We need 6 hours up to camp 2. During my acclimatisation days before I needed 2 ½ hours for the same way. Just to compare. This is high altitude alpinism. Camp 2 lies on a protected place on the ridge. Our tent is placed about 100 meters of altitude higher than the one of the other teams. It is not much snowed in. Our place seems to be perfect. The other tents 100 meters below are deeply buried into the snow.
On July 9, 2009 I set off for a first summit try. The moon is shining and shows me the way. The fresh snow gives a lot of resistance. From 6500 meters up to approx. 7000 meter the snow is hip-deep. To spur is very exhausting. Between 7000 and 7450 meters I can step aside to the rocks, which are blowed clear. The climb over the rocky ridge is more difficult, but less exhausting than moving up in the hip-deep snow. From camp 4 the normal route crosses under the summit pyramid to the right. The strong wind from the past days has done a good job. The traverse goes relatively easy. On the col the wind is expecting me – as forecasted by Meteotest. This wind blows up to 50 km/h. The temperatures fall below 25 degrees. From the col there are still about 300 meters of altitude to go to the main summit of Gasherbrum II. The last ascent is not easy at all. Again the snow lies nearly bottomless.
12 hours after having left my warm sleeping bag, I reach the 8035 meter high summit. I stay only about five minutes on the summit. It’s not at all comfortable up there. The cold drives me to a quick descent. This is easy in the deep snow. To slide down is a well-deserved relief. The descent to the tent lasts about 2 ½ hours.
Totally I was en-route 14 ½ hours. In my backpack: 0.5 liters of Peronin, 0.5 liters of mint tea, 2 oatmeal snacks and 4 powergels.
On July 10, Nicole and I descend to the base camp.
The main summit of Gasherbrum II is my first summit success on a mountain over 8000 meters. An easy peak over 8000 meters. Nevertheless it’s the ideal preparation for my main upcoming project in autumn: Makalu in Nepal. In the next days I will go up again: as a supplementary training. I will try to reach the summit together with my wife Nicole.
But the real preparation has been done. I am happy.
 Ueli Steck camp 2 |
 Ueli Steck Banana Ridge |
 summit pyramid |
 Ueli Steck summit |
Gasherbrum II (8035m)
July 7, 2009 – Gasherbrum camp 2:
Because of the unsteady weather, we stayed at BC also on Sunday. Yesterday we reached camp 1. There is a lot of snow.
Now we are at camp 2 at 6500 meter: there is still a lot of snow. And a lot of humidity in the air. The decision, when and if I can try for the summit, is not easy. I will decide day by day.
July 3, 2009 - Gasherbrum base camp:
It’s running quite good here. From Tuesday until Wednesday I was already for the second time at camp 2 at 6500 meters. Overnight. The weather was pretty bad. Nicole, my wife, descended from camp 1 back to BC with two Pakistani. We left some material at camp 1 and also at camp 2. If everything runs smoothly, we try again on Sunday to reach camp 1 and them move on together up to camp 2. Nicole will stay at camp 2 and I will continue alone. If the weather is fine, if there is not too much snow and if I feel well, I would like to go for the summit. This, before all the fix ropes are placed. This would be great and also nicer for me. I have installed camp 2 before all fix ropes were installed. This was absolutely great. A very nice climb.
 Ueli camp 1 |
 Ueli ascent camp 2 |
Gasherbrum II (8035m)
June 20, 2009
On Saturday, June 20 – after a journey of nearly two weeks – we reached Gasherbrum base camp (5100m).
The formalities at the government in Islamabad were quickly settled. Should the political situation in Pakistan get critical, we provided also the visa for China. So we would be able to fly out from China – just in case.
Because of bad weather we could not fly to Skardu. Bounced around and dead tired we finally reached Skardu on June 11 after a 14 hours lasting bus ride over the really impressive Karakorum Highway. The bus ride the day after to Gilgit lasted once again so long. Bus rides will definitively not become to my favourite hobbies... To my relief on June 14 from Gilgit we continued our journey on foot. On June 16 we reached beautiful Paiju (3785m), where we rested for one day. Since Saturday we are at the BC at 5100 meters.
Thanks to the meteo data of Meteotest I can observe the weather accurately and plan the acclimatisation. Yesterday it stayed dry all day long. In the afternoon more cloudy and on the summit ridge strong winds. Today Monday I left just after midnight. In my backpack tent and food for four days. At 5900 meters I installed camp 1 (C1) and went back to BC. This first acclimatisation excursion lasted 9 hours. Tomorrow I will rest.
USA
On Sunday June 7, we left to Islamabad. After long and careful considerations we have decided – despite the quite uncomfortable situation in the Swat Valley – to go to the Karakorum and start our expedition to Gasherbrum II. This expedition is for me a good preparation to my next goal in fall, where I will go back to Nepal.
Our trip to the States was gorgeous. I could – except to one pitch - redpoint on sight the route “Golden Gate” on the legendary El Capitan in the Yosemite National Parc. El Capitan is 1000 meter high and the highest free standing monolith of granite in the world.
Gasherbrum II (8035m)
Gasherbrum is a remote group of high peaks in the Karakorum, located at the northeast end of the 36-mile Baltoro glacier. The group forms a semi-circle around its own South Gasherbrum Glacier. The highest peak is Gasherbrum I. Three of the Gasherbrum massif's high peaks are over 8,000 meters. Gasherburm I is the world's eleventh highest peak, Broad Peak is the twelfth highest, and Gasherbrum II is the thirteenth highest. They do not lie – like Everest, Lohtse, Makalu or Ama Dablam – in Nepal, but in the sister mountain range of the Himalaja, in Karakorum Pakistan.
History and journey to base camp
Until 1939 today’s Pakistan and so also the moutains range of Karakorum stood under British highness. The Englishmen were the first ones to have mapped the Karakorum. The mountain became really well-known when it caught the attention of Ludwig Amadeus Sabaudzki, an aristocrat, the Duke of Abruzzi. Mountaineering was his passion. The expedition reached the Gasherbrum group over the until today not well known north route (China). Swiss G.O. Dyhrenfurth reached a height of 6250 meters on Gasherbrum II in 1934, followed the Baltoro glaicer from the south (Pakistan). After it was quiet in the valley until 1956. The first ascent over the southwest and east ridge was achieved by an Austrian expedition under the leadership of F. Moravec.
Gasherbrum II belongs because of its objectively relative safe route to the comfortable peaks of eightthousand meters. During the journey through the valley of Indus you follow first the Karakorum Highway and divert to Skardu. Over the Baltoro glacier you reach the most impressiv range of mountains in the world. Passing the huge mountains of Masherbrum, Muzthag Tower, Trango Towers, Gasherbrum IV, Broad Peak, K2 and the Corcordia place you follow the right arm of the Baltoro glacier and reach the base camp of Gasherbrum I & II on a height of approx. 5100m.
From Zürich we fly to Islamabad. The journey from Islamabad to the base camp over the 100 kilometer long Baltoro glacier lasts about 1 ½ -2 weeks.
Depending on how long the formalities with the government department and liasion officer will last, we hope to be able to move on on the second or third day. If possible we try to fly directly to Skardu in order to avoid the Karakorum Highway. From Skardu we continue our journey with porters and jeeps to Aksole (3048m). From there we will trek during approx. 7 days to the base camp at 5100 meters.
Piolets d’Or 2009
April 27, 2009Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten awarded with the „Piolets d’Or“ 2009 together with two more first ascents of Kalanka and Kamett
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Holidays in USA
Nomination for Piolets d'Or
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As a real celebration of worldwide mountaineering, the Piolets d’Or undertakes to its defend fundamental values. This revitalised 17th annual event will bring together mountaineers from all four corners of the Earth in a veritable festival. Conferences, debates, films, meetings and other cultural activities will be shared between Courmayeur (Italy) and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (France), from 22nd to 25th April 2009.
Ueli Steck und Simon Anthamatten are nominated because of their great first ascent in the alpin style of Tengkampoche Northface (6500m), Khumbu Valley, Nepal. For Ueli Steck this is – after 2005 – his second nomination. In 2005 he was nominated for his Khumbu-Express (Nepal): Solo first ascent of Cholatse Northface (6640m), solo first ascent of east face of Tawoche (6505m) and north-west-face of Ama Dablam (break off at 5900m, due to bad weather).
Last year the „Piolet d’Or“ ground to a halt. Due to the critical view expressed by several former winners of the price the organisers were not able to set up a new concept on time. But the organisers took this criticism very seriously. They put together new rules and a new definition of the award. For the first time the AAJ is officially supporting the Piolets d’Or, in keeping with the new spirit of promoting a taste for adventure, a desire for exploration and the art of climbing summits, rather than the spirit of competition.
The purpose of the Piolets d'or is to introduce the big climbs of the year achieved throughout the mountains ranges of the world. Its aim is to celebrate the taste for adventure and the desire for exploration in the art of climbing summits. It is a celebration of Mountaineering. The spirit of the Piolet d’Or finds its inspiration in the rich history of mountaineering. It is about celebrating the spirit of a rope party of sharing and solidarity, by promoting the beauty of an individual or collective act. In modern alpinism, the style and the means used is more important than the accomplishment of an objective. It Is not any more about succeeding at all cost, using financial tricks, techniques (oxygen, fixed ropes, altitude carriers, drugs…) or massive human means (Sherpa, altitude carriers). The Piolets d’Or give a value to everyone’s imagination in the research of innovative itineraries, encourages saving all means, and building on the experience in the process.
Criteria for assessment of performances
The climbs will be estimated without any discrimination of origin, on the basis of several criteria studied separately as well as a whole:
Elegance of the style
Spirit of exploration: originality of the itinerary and/or of the summit, creativity, innovation
Involvement and autonomy
High technical level
Pertinence of the itinerary considering the obvious dangers
Saving of means
Transparency in the used means
Respect of men, partners, and members of other rope parties, carriers and local persons involved
Respect of the environment
Respect of future generations of mountaineers by leaving them the possibility to live the same adventures
The members of the Jury are all personalities in the world of mountaineering. Renowned mountaineers and journalists, they are informed and impassioned.
Doug Scott (GB) president of the jury – Alpinist
Dario Rodriguez (Spain) – journalist - Desnivel
Dodo Kopold (Slovakia) – Mountain Climber
Jim Donini (USA) – Mountain Climber
Peter Habeler (Austria) – Mountain Climber
Yong ImDuck (Korea) - Journalist
The six nominees of the 17th edition of the Piolets d’Or are:
First ascent of the South-West face of Kamet (7756m, India)
A mixed Japanese team composed of Kazuya Hiraide and Kei Taniguchi opened up the unclimbed South-west face of Kamet in alpine style, between 26th September and 7th October 2008. Name of Route : Samurai Direct. Height of Climb: 1800m. Difficulties declared: mixed M5+, ice 5+.
New Route on the South face of Nuptse I (7861m, Nepal)
Frenchmen Stéphane Benoist and Patrice Glairon Rappaz achieved a route on the south face of Nuptse I in alpine style between the 27 and 30 October 2008. Name of Route: Are you experienced ? Height of climb: 2000m. Difficulties declared: mixed M5, ice 90°.
First complete ascent of the East face of Cerro Escudo (2450m, Chili) American Dave Turner opened the route solo in 34 days on one of the most difficult Big Walls in the world, the East face of Cerro Escudo, starting in December 2007 and finishing in January 2008. Name of Route : Taste the pain. Height of Climb : 1200m. Difficulty declared: aid climb A4+.
New route on the North face of Kalanka (6931m, India)In September 2008, the Japanese Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato and Kazuki Amano achieved a new route on the North face of Kalanka in alpine style, which had never been ascended in one go in September. Height of Route: 1800m. Difficulty declared: mixed M5.
First Ascent of the North face of Tengkampoche (6500m, Nepal)The Swiss Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten climbing alpine style opened up a new route and first ascent abutting the North face of Tengkampoche, between 21st and 24th April 2008. Nom of Route : Checkmate. Height of Climb : 2000m. Difficulties declared : mixed M7, ice 5, rock 6/A0.
Linked technical routes in Denali (6194m, Alaska)The Japanese Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato and Katsutaka Yokoyama succeeded in linking the routes Isis Face, the descent route the Ramp, and a climb back up the Slovak Direct route in one trip from 11 - 18 May. Total ascent : 2350m (Isis Face) and2900m (Slovak Direct). Difficulty declared : Alaska grade 6.
Please find more information about the award under www.pioletsdor.com
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Grandes Jorasses speed record
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On Sunday, December 28, 2008 Ueli Steck soloed the Colton-Macintyre route on the Northface of the Grandes Jorasses in 2 hours and 21 minutes. (The Grandes Jorasses are a chain of linked summits on the Mont Blanc massif.) He summited the highest point of the Grandes Jorasses, the "Pointe Walker“ (4208 m). Now Ueli Steck has climbed all three big Northfaces in the Alps solo. And climbed all of them in record time. » Story » Gallery |
Ueli Steck und Simon Anthamatten honoured with
the „Prix Courage 2008“
September 27, 2008
We are happy to inform you, that Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten were honoured last Friday night with the „Prix Courage 2008“.
» moreNew route in the Eiger Northface: „Paciencia“ - Update Sept. 22, 2008
| Length: | 23 pitches / 900m, difficulty 8a |
| First ascent: | Stephan Siegrist and Ueli Steck summer 2003 |
| First freeclimb: | Ueli Steck August 30, 2008 |
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Ueli Steck honoured with Eiger Award 2008
June 2, 2008
Back from Himalaja directly up to Grindelwald (Switzerland): just back from the Annapurna Expedition 2008, Ueli Steck was awareded last Friday, May 20, 2008 with the Eiger Award 2008.
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Solo - Der Alleingänger Das Buch von Ueli Steck |
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