According to the Mammut Blog, one of their sponsored athletes, Dani Arnold, has set a new speed record on the North Face of the Eiger, speed up the iconic face in just 2 hours, 28 minutes. The 27-year old Swiss climber shaved 20 minutes off the previous record, set by Ueli Steck back in 2008.
Arnold climbed the Heckmair route solo, passing other teams along the way. Setting out just after 9 AM, he was on top of the mountain by 11:33 AM. Unlike Ueli's ascent from a few years back, he didn't free climb the Hinterstoisser traverse however, as by spring, the route isn't safe for that kind of approach.
The Eiger is one of the most well known and popular climbing destinations in the entire world. Standing 3970 meters (13,025 ft) in height, the mountain was first climbed back in 1858, although the North Face wasn't conquered until 1938. It took the better part of two days to complete that climb, which makes it all the more amazing that modern climbers are topping out in just 2.5 hours.
No word yet on if Ueli will attempt to reclaim the record. After all, he is a bit busy in the Himalaya at the moment.