Uli Steck's Eiger record beat

[olyclimber]

Wow.

 

http://www.mammut.ch/basecamp/en/basecamp-news/dani_arnold_eiger_record?iframe=1

 

pretty insane, i thought that one would last a while!

[Off_White]

I think the fact the new guy used the fixed ropes on the Hinterstoisser Traverse and Steck free soloed that bit of dodgy ground makes the two ascents a little bit apples and oranges, and could easily account for a significant bit of the 20 minutes saved.

 

Damned impressive all the same.

[G-spotter]

20 other parties on the route the same day.

[Off_White]

Yeah, that would give me the willies, that much potential for climber induced rockfall on a wall with enough of that all on its own.

[Dane]

Great effort. But...

 

"Spring/Summer/Fall" (April 20 in this case) and Winter (Feb 18 for Ueli's climb) climbs are generally not thought comparible.

 

The Hinterstoisser Traverse time had little to do with 20 min I suspect. More likely the temps and the condition of the ice on the wall and how much more rock was climbable. Conditions have been pretty dry last month or so and the temps have been going up.

[olyclimber]

"Dani, imma let you finish, but I thought Ueli's speed climb of the Eiger was da best."

 

still the fastest up the mountain, even if the difficulty due to season or fixed ropes was different, fwiw. winter conditions can make things easier to climb or harder (good ice for tools or pulling down on crumbling shite rock?).

 

yes, not comparable, but then you wonder if any two climbs of the same route done in different years are (fixed ropes aside).

 

 

[TrogdortheBurninator]

I suspect Ueli has enough experience to have thought that the time frame he chose (feb) would give him the best shot at a fast time. Siliarly, Dani probably thought he could be fastest in the present conditions, in spite of crowding. Be interesting to see if Ueli goes for it again.

[RuMR]

This will change into the same thing as the nose...

 

it will be the potter/oneill vs florine/hirayama on El Cap trading back and forth...should be interesting to watch...

[Dane]

"fwiw. winter conditions can make things easier to climb or harder"

 

Ha, ha easy to say on the internet ;-) The change in a full two moths between Feb and April conditions in the Alps? Pretty obvious difference any year.

 

No doubt both are amazing athletes.

[olyclimber]

yep, comparisons on the internet are easy, aren't they?

 

Ueli is an amazing athlete. Watching him go or another watching Honnold in this vid are so far beyond my tolerances for risk they make me almost sick:

 

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/05/yosemite-climbing/free-solo-video

[Hans_Blix]

I am here to investigate and moderate any and all discussions regarding speed ascents.

 

Do we have a list of the third party timers?

[jon]

Please no Hans.

[Choada_Boy]

Madness. Steck is the man.

[Rad]

...should be interesting to watch...

 

I find the original bold visions of these two climbers inspiring. Turning it into a pickle sprayfest would be unfortunate and uninteresting. I'd like to see these two take their fitness and creative energies to new objectives.

[olyclimber]

Steck maintained his speed up through steep rock and intermittent ice until he climbed to 7200m. He had already reached his acclimatization goal, but felt confident and wanted to continue. "I promised my wife not to do any solos anymore. But this is not really a solo," he wrote. "In this area a roped party would not really belay. You would loose too much time and it is not really necessary. I thought I could do it, and I could already see the exit."[/qoute]

 

from Ueli's last climb.

 

Seems like Ueli lost his license to solo. That will put a dent in future risk taking. Of course it didnt stop him this time!