Ueli Steck

Ueli Steck
Personal information
Full name Ueli Steck
Main discipline Mountaineering
Other disciplines Carpentry
Born October 4, 1976 (1976-10-04) (age 35)
Langnau im Emmental, Switzerland
Nationality Swiss
Career
Notable Ascents Fastest Eiger north face ascent (2008)
Family

Ueli Steck (born October 4, 1976 in Langnau im Emmental, Switzerland) is a Swiss climber. He is also a skilled carpenter and lives in Ringgenberg in Interlaken.

Contents

Career

At the age of 17, Steck achieved the 9th difficulty rating (UIAA) in climbing. As an 18-year-old he climbed the north face of the Eiger, and the Bonatti Pillar in the Mont Blanc massif. In June 2004, he climbed the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau within 25 hours with Stephan Siegrist. Another success was the so-called Khumbu-Express in 2005,[1] for which the climbing magazine Climb named him one of the three best alpinists in Europe. The project consisted of the first solo-climb of the north wall of Cholatse (6440 m) and the east wall of Taboche (6505 m).

In 2007, whilst climbing up the direct line on the southern flank to the summit of Annapurna in the Himalayas, he was hit by a falling rock which smashed his helmet. He was knocked unconscious, slipped more than 200 feet, but survived with only bruises and a concussion. In May 2008, again climbing Annapurna, he broke off his ascent due to an avalanche threat, but the next week climbed to assist a Spanish climber Iñaki Ochoa de Olza, who had collapsed. Medical help was slow in coming and the Spanish climber died despite Steck's help.[2][3][4]

In 2008, Steck was the first recipient of the Eiger Award for his mountaineering achievements.[5]

Climbing achievements

Mönch north face, Direttissima, first ascent (1000m M5/Wi5)
Pumori west face, first ascent (1400m M4/80 degree ice) with Ueli Buhler
Eiger North Face, first ascent via "The Young Spider" (1800m M7/Wi6; 7a/A2)
Eiger nort face, La vida es Silbar redpointed, (900m 7c)
Eiger north face, winter solo ascent of "The Young Spider"
Gasherbrum II East (7772 m) NE face, first ascent [7]
Grand Jorasses north face, Colton–McIntyre speed-record route in 2:21 hours, solo [9]
Tengkampoche north face (6500m, Nepal) with Simon Anthamatten, first ascent in alpine style (no bolts, no fixed ropes, four days for the ascent and descent), winner of the Piolet d'Or .[10]
Gasherbrum II, solo ascent
Makalu, normal route
Cho Oyu summiting with Don Bowie 18 days after the Shishapangma solo ascent

Literature

References

  1. ^ http://www.uelisteck.ch/en/galleries/110-khumbu-express.html
  2. ^ Bauer, Luke (2008-05-23). "Inaki Ochoa de Olza Dies on Annapurna". Alpinist. http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08s/newswire-ochoa-annapurna. Retrieved 2008-06-29. 
  3. ^ Bericht von Ueli Steck zum Tod Ochoas
  4. ^ Bericht zum Tod Ochoas auf www.mounteverest.net
  5. ^ Eiger Award 2008: Laudatio Ueli Steck by Robi Bösch.
  6. ^ http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP01/climbing-note-easton
  7. ^ First approach of Gasherbrum from the North, see Gasherbrum II at 8000ers.com
  8. ^ Report at www.bergsteigen.at and Report in the Tagesschau des Schweizer Fernsehens
  9. ^ Report in the Tagesanzeiger
  10. ^ Annapurna-Expedition 2008
  11. ^ Report in the Tagesschau des Schweizer Fernsehens
  12. ^ "Steck Solos Shishapangma in 10.5 Hours", climbing.com, 18 April 2011.

External links