The New York Times Looks At Speed Climbing

The New York Times has posted a story and video on speed climbing in the world of mountaineering and takes a look at the approach to climbing, which inherently brings some risks for those who choose to go faster in the mountains.

The article mentions or quotes a number of big name climbers, including Steve House, who has a few harsh things to say about the approach, saying that speed records are for stroking someone's "ego." The Times also interviews Chad Kellogg about his attempts at a speed record on Everest, and the included video, which can't be embedded here, shows Chad training on Mt. Rainier. Rock climber Alex Honnold weighs in, saying he just climbs, and that speed records are simply a by-product of the faster approach. Even Ueli Steck offers some comments, saying that it is important to balance speed with safety on any climb.

I came across this link thanks to a post over at the Adventure Journal, and like them, I'm happy to see mountaineering get some mainstream press, but the writer acts like it is something new for climbers to try to go faster and lighter on the mountain. It has been happening for years, it is just that we've gotten to the point now where the athletes are better trained, better prepared, and have better equipment than ever before. That combination is allowing a few elite climbers to really push the envelope.

I think the following quote from Steve Swenson, president of the American Alpine Club, is a good one:

“Fifty years ago, adventure in the mountains was more about going places where no one had been,” he said. “Most of these places have been more thoroughly explored. Maybe adventure gets redefined.”

To me, "adventure" is a very personal thing, and what consitutues an adventure for some people, may not  be the same for others. It is important that we all find the definition that works for ourselves, and then pursue the best way to put some adventure into our lives. That's what I see out of these climbers. They are indeed redefining adventure for the 21st century.

Video: Speed Climbing In The Alps With Ueli Steck

Swiss climber Ueli Steck never ceases to amaze. He is a fantastic athlete who focuses on climbing big, challenging peaks, often solo and as fast as possible. The video below is of Ueli making a solo, speed attempt on la Ginat, a 13,123-foot peak on the Mount Blanc massif not far from Chamonix, France.

For the record, Ueli sprinted up the mountain in just 2 hours and 8 minutes, and while the video is a year old, if you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth a watch.

Thanks to the Adventure Journal for sharing!

Ueli Steck Speed Soloing the Ginat on the Droites from Jonathan Griffith on Vimeo.

Friday Inspiration: Ueli Steck Climbing The Eiger.

Looking for a little inspiration for your weekend adventures? Then look no further than the video below which shows Ueli Steck climbing the Eiger when he set a new speed record on that iconic mountain back in 2008. The video is from the film Swiss Machine, that was part of the Reel Rock Tour in 2010 and it is a fine example of what an amazing climber Ueli is.

Himalaya 2011: Ueli and Don Summit Cho Oyu!

Ueli Steck and Don Bowie have topped out on Cho Oyu, reaching the summit yesterday and nabbing the second 8000 meter peak in just 18 days for Steck. Details remain a bit light at the moment, and the home teams for both men say that they are still returning to Base Camp, where we are likely to get more information, and possibly summit photos this time out.

Back on April 18th, Ueli made a speed climb of Shisha Pangma (8013 m/26,289 ft), going tent-to-tent in under 20 hours. That was just the warm-up for the Swiss climber however, as he immediately left that mountain for Cho Oyu, where he and Don have apparently made another light and fast alpine style ascent. Standing 8201 meters (26,906 ft) in height, Cho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world.

Up next, the duo will head over to Everest to try their luck on the tallest of the 8000 meter peaks. They'll likely arrive just in time as well. With the route to the summit in place, most teams are waiting for a weather window to begin their climb. I'm guessing Don and Ueli will wait out the crowds and rest up in Base Camp, before making another ascent. They'll probably want everyone out of their way once they get moving.

Congrats to Ueli and Don on a job well done. Two 8000 meter peaks in the span of less than three weeks is pretty impressive stuff.

Himalaya 2011: Ueli Checks In From Cho Oyu, Ready For Summit Bid

Ueli Steck and climbing partner Don Bowie have sent an update from Cho Oyu, the next stop in their Himalayan Triple Header this spring. You may recall that Ueli topped out solo on Shisha Pangma a few weeks back, and now the duo are prepping to go for the summit on the 8201 meter (26,906 ft) Cho Oyu.

According to the dispatch, since arriving on Cho Oyu last week, Ueli and Don have been acclimatizing at altitude and building their camps. They've been up as high as 7000 meters (22,966 ft) and are back in ABC and watching the weather closely. The forecast said that a window could open as early as today, and if that holds true, they may have already started the ascent.

It should be noted that they are not making an attempt on any kind of speed record on this climb. They do home to go light and fast, but beyond that, they're saving their strength for their final challenge, Everest from the South Side, which will take place in a few weeks time.

As for questions that continue to surround Ueli's speed climb of Shisha, I'm not sure why we haven't seen any summit photos. Perhaps Ueli didn't take the camera with him since he wasn't expecting to go for the summit that day. That seems unlikely, but it is a possibility. We have seen video of him high on the mountain and moving upwards very rapidly, but so far there has been no definitive proof that he has stood on top.

Perhaps once the entire expedition is over, we'll get plenty of that evidence offered to us, but for now, we simply have the reports from Ueli, Don, and their companions.

Himalaya 2011: Ueli Shares Details On Shisha Climb

Last week we received the amazing news on Ueli Steck's solo speed climb of Shisha Pangma in 10.5 hours. Since then, we've had a variety of reports on the climb, but we haven't heard from Ueli himself. That is, until today, when he posted details of the climb on his Himalayan Speed website.

Steck says that when he set off from camp he didn't have any intentions of climbing the mountain, but that he was going to climb up to about 7200 meters (23,622 ft) to have a look around and see how he felt. But the conditions were so good and he felt in great shape, that he decided to just keep going up.

Ueli says that he climbed along the British Route, then traversed over the Wieliki Route because of bad rockfall in the night. Eventually though, he ended by exiting on the Spanish Route, although he was more or less just feeling his own way as he went. He did report a lot of snow near the summit, which made things a bit dicy, but still he managed to complete the climb in a very quick fashion.

Check out the video below for more on Ueli's Shisha speed climb. And before anyone asks, no, there still aren't any summit photos released.


Ueli Steck Climbing Shisha Pangma (8027m) from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.

Himalaya 2011: Lines Fixed To C3 On Everest South Side

Despite continued cold and snowy conditions in the Himalaya, work towards the various summits progresses on schedule. As the first of May quickly approaches, it seems that it is all about the acclimatization process, building high camps, and stashing gear for the eventual summit push.

Perhaps the biggest news of the day is that the Sherpa teams fixing ropes on Everest's South Side have reached the Yellow Band, located at 28,000 feet. According to an update from IMG, they'll now descend back to Base Camp for a few days of rest before returning to that point on the mountain. My guess is they'll finish the last sections, up to the 8848 meter (29,029 ft) summit on their next go, clearing the way for the commercial teams to follow in a few weeks time.

With the ropes fixed so high up the mountain,  some teams have begun to climb up to C3, including the Peak Freaks who will likely have climbers there as early as tomorrow. Part of their team is at Camp 1 now, and another part is in Camp 2. They'll all "touch" Camp 3 tomorrow or Wednesday, and immediately descend to C2 for the night. Other teams are sure to follow of course, with most spending at least a night at C3 as part of their acclimatization.

Things are progressing a bit more slowly on the North Side, where the weather has been even dicier. Teams on that side of the mountain have gone up to Camp 1, where they've spent a few nights and stashed some gear. Most are back in BC now, awaiting a chance to go higher. On that side of the mountain, a team of climbers from the Chinese-Tibetan Mountaineering Association handles the fixing of the ropes, thus all the teams are at their mercy while they wait for them to finish the job. Last year, they lagged a few days behind their counterparts on the South Side because it took a bit longer for the Sherpa team to complete their tasks. It is beginning to look like that will hold true this year as well.

Over on Makalu, David Morton and Melissa Arnot have completed their Puja ceremony and have started their work on the mountain. You can read their updates on the Born Out There blog. In his latest update David talks about the challenges of sleeping at high altitude, a subject that I found all too familiar while reading his dispatch. In short, it can be a not so pleasant experience.

Finally, Ueli Steck is en route to Cho Oyu, the next challenge in his Himalaya Triple Header. According to his website, he and the team are in Namche Bazaar at the moment, but will be back on the trail tomorrow. With any luck, they'll be in BC on Cho Oyu in a few days time, and we'll start the countdown on his attempt at his next big peak. Any one want to start a pool on how fast he'll go up this mountain?

To see what it is like behind the scenes on Ueli's adventure, check out the video below.


Project Himalaya: Behind the Scenes in Namche from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.

Ueli Conquers Shisha Solo In 10.5 Hours!

So, I had no more than finished writing the post below this one about all the happenings in the Himalaya, when I came across this story over at Climbing.com about Ueli already knocking off Shishapangma! It seems that he arrived in Base Camp last week, and two days later made a summit bid.

According to Climbing, Ueli and Don Bowing made the climb up to ABC, located at 5,800 meters (19,029 ft) on Saturday. Don wasn't feeling ready yet for an attempt, so Ueli made a solo summit bid at 10 PM that night. By 9 AM yesterday morning he was on top of the mountain, and both he and Don were back in Base Camp just 20 hours after they left.

All I can say is WOW! Ueli never ceases to amaze me. While he has been acclimatizing throughout the region in preparation for this Himalayan Hat Trick, it is still amazing to read about his exploits. Keep thi sin mind, it is doubtful that there are even fixed ropes to the summit of Shisha yet, so for Steck to climb solo, and that fast, is simply incredible.

Congrats to Ueli on already taking down the first of his 8000 meter peaks. Good luck with the remaining two.

Himalaya 2011: What is Ueli Steck Up To In The Himalaya?

The 2011 Himalaya season is barely underway, and most climbers are still en route to their respective base camps, but Ueli Steck has already been in the region for several weeks, and has completed training climbs on the 6000 meter peaks of Lobuche and Cholatse. But for Ueli, these are just "warm-ups" for something bigger. The Swiss speed climber has some major plans for the big Himalayan mountains, and will be spending the next five months pursuing his Project: Himalaya expedition.

The details on what he has planned remain a bit shrouded in mystery at the moment, but you can find several videos and a couple of dispatches from Ueli's support team at HimalayaSpeed.com. That team includes the likes of Freddie Wilkinson, Rob Frost and Jim Aikman, who have traveled to Nepal to chronicle Ueli's light and fast, alpine style attack on some of the mountains there. Exactly which mountains remains to be seen.

Considering the project is expected to last five months, we can almost guess that these climbs will take Ueli all over the Himalaya, and quite possibly into the Karaoram sub-range. Steck is one of the best climbers in the world, and it isn't out of the question for him to take on some of the biggest mountains on the planet, but which ones does he have his sights on? Will he make a speed attempt on Everest for instance? How about Annapurna? Clearly he'll have to vacate Nepal/Tibet by early June due to the Monsoon, does that mean K2 is on his radar? I guess we'll have to wait to see what the Project: Himalaya itinerary has in store for the team. But one thing is for sure, it'll most likely be quite an interesting expedition to follow.

For those unfamiliar with Ueli, check out the video below, which serves as a great introduction to the man known as the "Swiss Machine." Then watch the second video to get an early update on the Project: Himalaya expedition from Kathmandu.

Update: ExWeb has more details on Ueli's plans. It seems that he is climbing with Asian Trekking and that he has just left for Tibet, where Steck, along with American Don Bowie, will be going for three 8000 meter peaks this year. The two men will make attempts on Shisapagma, Cho Oyu and Everest.

So, there you have it. The three peaks that Ueli is set to challenge. It should be very interesting to see how he fares on those mountains.




Ueli Steck - The Swiss Machine from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.




Project Himalaya: Behind the Scenes in Kathmandu from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.

Alpinist Continues Speed Series Interviews

A couple of weeks back I posted about a fascinating set of articles that had been published at Alpinist.com. Dubbed the "Speed Series" the stories were a set of interviews with some of the top speed climbers on the planet, including Alex Honnold, Sean Leary, and Dean Potter. Since then, there have been two more additions to the Speed Series, putting Ueli Steck and Hans Florine under the microscope.

Part III of the series is with Steck, who, for my money, just might be the strongest climber on the planet. Ueli has set speed records on the Eiger that are simply unbelievable, knocking off that beast in just 2 hours, 47 minutes, 33 seconds. In the interview, Steck talks about what got him started in speed climbing (he began on the Eiger!), how he improved his times on that iconic mountain, and his general approach to the "lifestyle" of climbing. It is an insightful and interesting read about what makes one of the top climbers of this generation tick.

The focus of Part IV is Hans Florine, who has held a number of speed records in Yosemite, including what was once the fastest time up The Nose on El Cap. Hans discusses why he loves climbing in Yosemite Valley, what draws him to speed climbing, and how he got started. (Hint: They were just trying to squeeze in as many climbs as the could!) He also touches on alpine climbing vs. speed climbing, as well has his philosophy on the sport, amongst other things.

I'm not sure if Alpinist has any more interviews such as these planned for the weeks ahead, but I've found them to be excellent to read. Writer Gwen Cameron has done a great job in rounding up some of the best climbers around and allowed us to get inside their heads and see what drives them. Hopefully this will be a regular series for some time.