Speed-style ascent of 8000-meter peak successfully completed
Ueli Steck, renowned Swiss alpinist, known for speed records in the Alps, takes his era-defining speed style to the Himalaya. Ueli has summited the Tibetan giant of Shisha Pangma (8027-meters and 14th highest in the world) in a mere 10.5 hours, but it’s only the beginning.
Holding impressive speed records on the Eiger, the Matterhorn and les Grandes Jorasses (Video: The Swiss Machine), Ueli is now focused on the Himalaya bringing his light and fast, solo approach to the tallest peaks on the planet, and Shisha Pangma is only the first in what Ueli dubs Project Himalaya.
Ueli left basecamp at 5306m on Saturday April 16th at 10:30pm to solo-climb the southwest face and summit in just 10.5 hours. It is reported that just 20 hours after departure Ueli was back at basecamp recovering comfortably from the high alpine assault already thinking about what’s next up in the high mountains of Tibet.
Ueli’s success on Shisha Pangma can be attributed to his Olympic-level training regime he has followed the past three years, and the two months he spent this spring training and acclimatizing in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Using sprints up Lobuche and Cholatse as warm-ups for the real deal, Ueli is redefining what is possible in alpine climbing.
With the help of Suunto Cores Ueli is able to time each of his ascents, as well as to measure his ascent and descent during his climbs, and monitor changes in air pressure with the barometer function.
For the full back story, on-site video and insights into the unfolding chapters of Project Himalaya, visit: www.HimalayaSpeed.com