UKC

NEW ARTICLE: VIDEO: Les Droites - Ueli Steck Speed Solo

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 UKC Articles 16 Apr 2010
[Ueli Steck on the Eiger speed ascent, 3 kb]Ueli Steck - the world's best alpinist or a climber on the edge of insanity? Who knows. What we do know is that he has speed-soloed some of the Alps' greatest North Faces in lightning quick times.

In this video by professional photographer and UKC Gear Reviewer Jon Griffith, we see Ueli in action speed soloing the classic 1000m ED1 route The Ginat on the North Face of the Droites, Chamonix.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=2701

 Diggler 16 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles:

What a route!!!!!!!! Pass me the tissues
Chris Ellyatt 16 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles:

Incredibe
MattDTC 16 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles:
Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgh!!
I've just watched TobyA video of sking in norway youtube.com/watch?v=N8OGJhO41ZQ&

and now i watch Ueli in the sun drenched alps...

The sun, the snow, the mountains, day after day of livin it up in the snow. I can't take anymore, thats it i quit my job, i'm out of this office, turning my back on nine-to-fiving it, i disown my family, sod the mortgage and getting the lawn mowed. I'm running for the hills....must have snow....must have mountains....












oh damm, i forgot, I've got to take the kids swimming tomorrow...oh well maybe next week.
 Michael Ryan 16 Apr 2010
Some say that Steck is the best all round climber that has ever lived. He has so much alpine, rock, ice and mixed experience it is incredible.

His life revolves around training for his speed solos, every day a specific training regime plus he has an amazing head and trains at the Swiss Olympic institute.

Someone told me that, he doesn't double check placements, he just keeps moving on up even if the axe is wobbly.

All this speed soloing in the Alps is mere sport climbing compared to his big Himalayan projects ; o )
 Wee Davie 16 Apr 2010
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

>Someone told me that, he doesn't double check placements, he just keeps moving on up even if the axe is wobbly.

Yeah, but his ability to assess a placement must be unbelievably honed or he'd have been dead long ago. Most mortals attempting rapid style pedalling up mixed ground would be taking a big 'dynamic descent' before long.
 mlt 16 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles:

Very nice, thanks for that video. One thing I've always particularly liked about your vids is the music. Keep it up.
 TobyA 16 Apr 2010
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Thanks to MattDTC for putting me in the same post as Ueli as inspiration, that's something that's not happened before!

> Some say that TobyA is the most average all round climber that has ever lived. He has very average amounts of alpine, rock, ice and mixed experience that it's not particularly surprising.
>
> His life revolves around stopping his kids from fighting and worrying about work, every day a specific training regime of deciding whether he can be arsed to cycle in to his institute or whether he'll take the bus.
>
> Someone told me that he gets so scared on ice he overdrives his placements, he just can't move up because his axe is so stuck.
>
> All this icefall cragging is mere sport climbing compared to his ambition to climb Point Five someday (as long as he can find someone else willing to lead the crux). ; o )

 Michael Ryan 16 Apr 2010
In reply to TobyA:

Love it
 Jon Griffith 16 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles: To All

Many thanks for the kind comments. It is always a real pleasure to photograph or film Ueli in action and this was no exception. It might be worth saying that I am no film maker so take this 'film' with a pinch of salt but it was a pretty fun learning curve and experience. It has definitely made me appreciate the huge effort and skills required to make an Alastair Lee production.

I will be out of contact for the next 5 weeks as I am out in Alaska now so dont take offense if I dont reply back to any questions

Jon



 frost 16 Apr 2010
In reply to Wee Davie: I think Steck said somewhere that his career of speed soloing is only short as the odds of something going wrong are to high to keep it up, or something to that effect.
 Frank4short 16 Apr 2010
In reply to Jon Griffith: Obivously Ueli being one of the best all rounders in the world makes it look easier than it is. However in saying that in those conditions it really doesn't look like it merits the ED1 grade as it looks a lot more straightforward than i would expect your average ED1 winter alpine route to be.
 Green Porridge 16 Apr 2010
In reply to Jon Griffith:

A really great video - I really enjoyed it. I'm always in awe of Ueli's climbing, but on this video, I appreciated the video just as much.

You say you're no film maker, but maybe that's what makes it so good - you're bringing your photographer's eye for a landscape to a moving format. Fantastic!

Tim
 Sean Kelly 16 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles: Pi**ed off that he didn't climb up to the summit so 2.08hrs doesn't count. I'm just off to lie down in a dark room!!!
 Conor1 17 Apr 2010
In reply to Jon Griffith:

> I will be out of contact for the next 5 weeks as I am out in Alaska now so dont take offense if I dont reply back to any questions


This is just a low blow.

Poor Matt's probably topped himself..




 PSR 17 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles:

Amazing!
 Dominic Green 17 Apr 2010
In reply to Jon Griffith:
Did you shoot on a 5dmkII?
 220bpm 18 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice piece of work. Thanks.

Anyone know if Rich Simpson still thinking of delving into this particular field?
 RichJ634 22 Apr 2010
In reply to Wee Davie: I think that to some extent his fast movement helps with his not having to check his placements so carefully. It's like boulder hopping. If you go fast and dynamic you never fall off. As soon as you start going slow and stop/start you fall off straight away. Even if one placement isn't the best as long as he is off it quickly onto the next one it's ok, plus all his weight is spread over his feet and axes and his momentum drives him upwards.
 Lil_Pete 22 Apr 2010
In reply to UKC Articles:

Hell, as he proved on Annapurna even if he does fall (300m?!) he'll get up and walk away! Nice video, good choice of music but basically it all comes back to those single frames when he's literally bounding up the ice... So good!
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