Amazing: Ueli Steck Solos Matterhorn’s North Face in Under Two Hours
January 20, 2009
Ueli Steck has scaled the North Face of The Matterhorn in 1 hour and 56 minutes. Over the past year, Steck has been pushing the boundaries of speed climbing and ascents. Steck took the Schmidt Route up the Matterhorn and topped it in a time of just under two hours. Three weeks prior to this amazing climb, Steck put up a time of two hours, 21 minutes on the North Face of Grandes Jorasses. Prior to that, Ueli Steck had scaled the North Face of The Eiger in two hours and 47 minutes. These are some incredible climbs on some of the tougher routes in the world.
Climbing.com’s Dougald MacDonald has the full report. UKClimbing.com has some video of Ueli’s amazing Matterhorn summit. I am still waiting to see what Ueli will post on the Hardwear Sessions blog. I am hoping we will get a full report within the next day. This is still some amazing stuff that Ueli is accomplishing. he is putting up some very fast times. It will be interesting to see if others will attempt to knock these times down even further.
Is Speed Climbing the wave of the future? There is definitely starting to be some interest drawn for these types of climbs. They definitely add a new competitive aspect to climbing, but I am guessing that the danger level also rises with such an attempt. Your thoughts?
Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it,From The Adventurist Vault:
Written by Jason A. Hendricks · Filed Under Ueli Steck |
What a crazy time he has put down, respect!
http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com
Dan Howitt wrote to Ueli several times over the last month requesting Ueli, simply, hire timers to time him at the bottom, and, at the top. No reply. Dan offered him money too to do this. No reply.
Ueli and the others. They do the speedclimb in secrecy. For the most part. Then after, they tell as many people as possible of their time. They seek out press coverage, spreading of their announcements, they announce on their websites and blogs http://www.uelisteck.ch/index.php?news_e in their own announcements they call themselves by name to deceive the public to think it’s a 3rd party media report.
One thing these people can’t afford to do. Have timers. It would devastate their careers.
Ueli responds at Mountain Hardward blog. Several posts under article. Including one by article writer, and one by Ueli.
http://blog.mountainhardwear.com/2009/01/ueli_steck_soloes_the_grandes.html
One theme is present. & present among many others. That he does it for himself. However, this isn’t true. Why? He tells others. Including major media, and announces on his website, and tells his financial sponsors. So it’s not for himself. It’s for his publicity, it’s for money, and so on.
Ueli please take a professional approach here. Get timers. Yes it might ruin your career, but at least it would be the truth.
Ctd-
Ueli seems to think, his watch times him for him. Like the watch itself is timing him. This is typical. Many many many speedclimbers take a photo of their watch for proof of their time. As if it was the official timer.
Ueli talks about 2 people at the bottom of a climb timing. Anyone at the top to see him finish?
Strange strange antics. Especially from long standing highly experienced well sponsored professional climbers. I’d expect this of pure novices.
Challenge for Ueli. Hire timers. Guess- he’ll never do so. He won’t, Chad Kellogg likely won’t (he was offered thousands of dollars yearly since 2003).
This report about Chad Kellog has been thoroughly edited, tons of old/extra content removed, and some additions. Hopefully it’s more focused and clear now.
Adventurist: Any comments on this report? There are several independent issues. Each, alone, seems problematic. When combined, even more problematic and concerning. To be added shortly, fact about the high money offers Dan Howitt has given to Kellogg each year since 2003 and supported and encouraged by two authors of the book “Speed Climbing” Hans Florine http://www.speedclimb.com and Bill Wright http://www.wwwright.com. Both say it’s an interesting challenge and compelling.
http://www.extremeforum.net/hoax-artist-chad-kellog-6016416.html