UKC

I have just come across this film of Ueli Steck's ascent of the above route. http://www.alpineexposures.com/pages/ueli-steck-smashes-the-grandes-jorasse... filmed by Jon Griffith. Sorry if it has been posted before but this is still impressive soloing! So am I guessing that Jon also had to solo? Perhaps he will spill the beans...impressive film-making as well.

In reply to Sean Kelly:
I think the video and photos were done after the event with Jon abbing to get into position.

In reply to Sean Kelly: He climbed the line on his own. AFAIK then went back the following day with John & abbed the line taking still & video footage of him climbing sections of it to keep the sponsors happy.

In reply to Frank4short: That's correct, they got a helicopter to the summit and then added down filming as they went. However the speed he was climbing on the film is exactly how fast he was climbing when he soloed the whole route.

In reply to Sean Kelly: Hi Sean, as Mark pointed out we actually abbed the route.

Ueli is quite strict about his soloing ethics and these has to be no-one on the route as well as no track. The Colton Mac, whilst maybe not his most impressive solo, was very impressive to me and many others because he did it onsight. The top section of the Colton Mac is not easy with reported sections of Scottish VII. Anyway, so he headed up on his own and climbed the thing without any annoying photographers hanging off ropes. There is no way I would solo the Colton Mac!

About 4 days later we returned to the face to climb it and get shots but just as we arrived at the bivi site we got a last minute call saying we had managed to secure a helicopter permit to land on the summit. Next morning we arrived on the top just at sunrise and rapped the route in 4.30hrs whilst getting shots and video. A good day out if a little weird

Jon

It looks ridiculously steep in my eyes to do solo stuff... I'll stick to the AD routes

In reply to Jon Griffith: Hi Jon. Sounds like a real adventure whichever way you filmed the climb! I really enjoyed watching it.

In reply to Jon Griffith:
Just watched your film of the Croz Spur, fantastic stuff!!

In reply to Jon Griffith:


I think I would be seriously scared about abbing it!

Great film.

In reply to Sean Kelly:

It was a featured article Sean

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1915

VIDEO: Ueli Steck Speed Solo - Grandes Jorasses
by Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC Jun/2009
This article has been read 4,341 times

Best alpine videos I've seen on the 'net. Great job, keep up the stoke!

In reply to Dane1: thanks. am part way through a Petuerey Integral one as well. All amateur stuff mind...

In reply to Jon Griffith:

Excellent! I'd like to see that, work fast Jon.

Andy

In reply to Dane1: look at this one!
http://www.tvmountain.com/index.php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&task=viewv...

In reply to graham F: funnily enough Will and I are in that video cooking in the hut. We headed up the Desecures-Robach when they were on the Croz. We then headed back for the Croz a few days later after bailing part way up the Robach (terrible conditions)