UKC

Ueli Steck Solos Shisha Pangma (8027m) in 10.5 hours

© Jon Griffith
The Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck has speed soloed the Tibetan giant of Shisha Pangma (8027m) in 10.5 hours.

Ueli Steck on le Ginat  © Jon Griffith
Ueli Steck on le Ginat
© Jon Griffith

Steck, in a league of his own in terms of fast and light alpinism, is also an amazingly accomplished rock climber. The true all-rounder won a Piolet d'Or back in 2008 for an alpine-style first ascent of the North Face of Teng Kang Poche (6500m) and also made an almost onsight ascent of El Capitan via the route Golden Gate back in 2009.

His recent ascent of Shisha Pangma is one of the fastest ascents of an 8000m peak ever, and Steck was climbing in alpine style, with no fixed equipment.

Shisha Pangma is the fourteenth highest peak in the world and is Ueli Steck's third 8000er. He climbed Gasherbrum II and Makalu in 2009.

We hope to bring you more information on Ueli's ascent soon.

VIDEO: Ueli Steck Hits the High Mountains


Ueli Steck is sponsored by various companies including Mountain Hardwear, Scarpa, Petzl, Beal


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19 Apr, 2011
Holy ****
19 Apr, 2011
~First ascent: Shishapangma was first climbed via the Northwest Face and Northeast Ridge and face (Northern Route) on May 2, 1964 by a Chinese expedition led by Xǔ Jìng. ~Notable ascents and attempts: 1980 Northern Route (2nd Ascent) by Michl Dacher, Wolfgang Schaffert, Gunter Sturm and Fritz Zintl (7 May); Sigi Hupfauer and Manfred Sturm (12 May); as part of a German expedition. 1980 Northern Route (3rd Ascent) by Ewald Putz and Egon Obojes (13 October), as part of an Austrian expedition. 1981 Northern Route (4th Ascent) by Junko Tabei, Rinzing Phinzo and Gyalbu Jiabu (30 April) as part of a Japanese Women's expedition. 1981 Northern Route (5th Ascent) by Reinhold Messner and Friedl Mutschlechner (28 May), as part of an Austrian expedition. 1982 British Route, Southwest Face (alpine style) FA by Doug Scott, Alex Macintyre and Roger Baxter-Jones (all UK), (28 May). Route follows the right-hand couloir on the southwest face. 1987 On July 18, Elsa Ávila and Carlos Carsolio became the first Mexicans to summit Shishapangma. For Ávila, her first eight-thousander and for Carsolio, his second. Via the northern face/ridge to the central summit, then along the arete to the main summit, with Wanda Rutkiewicz, Ramiro Navarrete, and Ryszard Warecki. 1987 West ridge, FA by Jerzy Kukuczka and Artur Hajzer (18 September). Kukuczka skied from near the summit. This was Kukuczka's fourteenth 8000 metre peak. 1987 Central Couloir, north face, FA by Alan Hinkes and Steve Untch (19 September). 2004 Jean-Christophe Lafaille (France) roused controversy when he climbed the British Route on the Southwest face, solo, summiting on December 11, and claiming a winter ascent. Since this was not calendar winter, he changed his claim to an ascent "in winter conditions." 2005 (14 January) - first (calendar) winter ascent by Piotr Morawski (Poland) and Simone Moro (Italy). 2011 On April 17, Ueli Steck solos the south face in 10.5 hours. Approximately 22 people have died climbing Shishapangma, including noted Americans Alex Lowe and Dave Bridges (1999), and veteran Portuguese climber Bruno Carvalho. Nevertheless, Shishapangma is one of the easiest eight-thousander to climb. The standard route ascends from the north side, and boasts relatively easy access, with vehicle travel possible to base camp at 5,000 m (16,400 ft). More technically demanding are routes on the steeper southwest face, which involve 2,200 metres (7,218 feet) of ascent on a 50-degree slope. These are ideal for a (difficult) alpine style ascent.
19 Apr, 2011
Once he knows the routes on all 14, is there any human chance if him going back and ticking all 14 in a year, weather condition dependant?!
19 Apr, 2011
Really interesting stats. Do you have any information as to how long these other notable ascents took? I'd like to put Steck's time into perspective.
19 Apr, 2011
Fit lad.
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