Friday Inspiration: Ueli Steck Climbing The Eiger.

Looking for a little inspiration for your weekend adventures? Then look no further than the video below which shows Ueli Steck climbing the Eiger when he set a new speed record on that iconic mountain back in 2008. The video is from the film Swiss Machine, that was part of the Reel Rock Tour in 2010 and it is a fine example of what an amazing climber Ueli is.

New Speed Record Set On The Eiger North Face

According to the Mammut Blog, one of their sponsored athletes, Dani Arnold, has set a new speed record on the North Face of the Eiger, speed up the iconic face in just 2 hours, 28 minutes. The 27-year old Swiss climber shaved 20 minutes off the previous record, set by Ueli Steck back in 2008.

Arnold climbed the Heckmair route solo, passing other teams along the way. Setting out just after 9 AM, he was on top of the mountain by 11:33 AM.  Unlike Ueli's ascent from a few years back, he didn't free climb the Hinterstoisser traverse however, as by spring, the route isn't safe for that kind of approach.

The Eiger is one of the most well known and popular climbing destinations in the entire world. Standing 3970 meters (13,025 ft) in height, the mountain was first climbed back in 1858, although the North Face wasn't conquered until 1938. It took the better part of two days to complete that climb, which makes it all the more amazing that modern climbers are topping out in just 2.5 hours.

No word yet on if Ueli will attempt to reclaim the record. After all, he is a bit busy in the Himalaya at the moment.

Alpinist Continues Speed Series Interviews

A couple of weeks back I posted about a fascinating set of articles that had been published at Alpinist.com. Dubbed the "Speed Series" the stories were a set of interviews with some of the top speed climbers on the planet, including Alex Honnold, Sean Leary, and Dean Potter. Since then, there have been two more additions to the Speed Series, putting Ueli Steck and Hans Florine under the microscope.

Part III of the series is with Steck, who, for my money, just might be the strongest climber on the planet. Ueli has set speed records on the Eiger that are simply unbelievable, knocking off that beast in just 2 hours, 47 minutes, 33 seconds. In the interview, Steck talks about what got him started in speed climbing (he began on the Eiger!), how he improved his times on that iconic mountain, and his general approach to the "lifestyle" of climbing. It is an insightful and interesting read about what makes one of the top climbers of this generation tick.

The focus of Part IV is Hans Florine, who has held a number of speed records in Yosemite, including what was once the fastest time up The Nose on El Cap. Hans discusses why he loves climbing in Yosemite Valley, what draws him to speed climbing, and how he got started. (Hint: They were just trying to squeeze in as many climbs as the could!) He also touches on alpine climbing vs. speed climbing, as well has his philosophy on the sport, amongst other things.

I'm not sure if Alpinist has any more interviews such as these planned for the weeks ahead, but I've found them to be excellent to read. Writer Gwen Cameron has done a great job in rounding up some of the best climbers around and allowed us to get inside their heads and see what drives them. Hopefully this will be a regular series for some time.

Trailer For Jeff Lowe's Metanoia Film

Back in the winter of 1991, climber Jeff Lowe spent nine days putting up a new route on the Eiger. After completing that very difficult, and life altering, route, he named it Metanoia. No one has ever been able to duplicate that route ever since. Now, a new film is in the works that will tell the tale of that climb and the impact it had on the alpine world.

Yesterday, I received a note about this film, which is scheduled to be released later this year. In that note, there was a plea for donations to help complete the movie. The production team was seeking $25,000 to do just that. Today, when I clicked on the donations page, I see that they not only reached their goal, they've actually earned nearly $38,000 in the process. Pretty impressive response from the climbing community, and a job well done!

Also, the film interviews climber Ueli Steck about Lowe and the Metanoia climb. Ueli, who is amongst the strongest climbers in the world in my opinion, has nothing but good things to say. He is also gearing up to make an attempt on Metanoia himself. If anyone can climb the route, is is probably Steck.

Dean Potter Free Climbing The Eiger

I caught this video over at Backcountry.com's Goat Blog yesterday and wanted to share it here as well. It's of big wall climber Dean Potter, as he makes an amazing free climb of the Eiger using a BASE jumping chute as his life line in case he falls. Potter has combined two of his major passions, rock climbing and BASE jumping, to ensure that he can get a the challenge of one, while using the other for safety purposes.

Some of the images in this video are simply stunning. Great stuff. I hope you enjoy.

dean potter from cl1 on Vimeo.

Thoughts on The North Face

Awhile back I posted a story about a promising looking climbing film called The North Face, and that it was about to get a release in the U.S. It turns out it was a fairly limited release, and while I waited and watched for it to come to my local theater, it never arrived. Now, I live in Austin, TX, which has quite a reputation as a "movie town". Heck, SXSW is starting this week, and literally dozens of films will be debuting there, so you can imagine my disappointment when the movie wasn't scheduled to play here.

Enter, REI. Yes, the gear store. Thankfully, they picked up the film and have been showing it off in some of their stores. When I saw it show up on my event calendar for March, I immediately made reservations, and planned to catch it. Last night, that finally happened, and I can tell you it was worth the wait.

The movie tells the tale of two German climbers, Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser (Played by Benno Furmann and Florian Lukas), who set out to challenge the Eiger back in 1936. At that time, climbing was quite the obsession in Europe, with newspaper stories written about mountaineers and their daring deeds. It was also a matter of national pride for climbers from a specific country to make a first ascent, something that would spur Kurz and Hinterstoisser on, as they made their attempt on the "Europe's last great problem" in the name of the Fuhrer.

The film is beautifully shot, with both the landscapes and the action coming across very realistically. This is a movie that captures the essence of climbing, and the men who love it so. It is also historically accurate, and there were a number of times that I was struck by how primitive Kurz and Hinterstoisser's gear was while I watched them climb. Everything form the clothes they wore, the packs they used, and even the pitons they pounded into the rock were painstakingly recreated, and it gives the film a level of realism that isn't always found in these kinds of movies.

Those who know the tales of the Eiger know doubt know this tale too. I won't spoil it for those that don't, but it plays out on the screen very well, It is gripping to watch, and even while sitting in an REI store, I was riveted to the screen, watching the events play out. The characters are extremely well developed, the acting is superb, and, everything comes together on multiple levels. This isn't Cliffhanger. This is a different kind of climbing film, and fans of the sport will enjoy it greatly. Historians of the sport will likely fall in love with it.

In case you couldn't tell, I loved the film, and recommend it very highly. If you get the chance, you must see it. I'm not sure when it comes out on DVD, but I'll definitely be looking to add it to my collection. And I can't give a film a higher rating than that. Really great stuff.

North Face Coming To US Theaters January 29th

A few weeks back I posted a link to a trailer for an upcoming film called North Face which recounts the efforts of German climbers circa 1936 to conquer the unclimbed North Face of the Eiger. Now, a few more details on the film, including a release date, have emerged.

The film is set to hit American theaters on Friday, January 29th. I've been told that the film has been out for months in Europe, but it is just now making its way to this side of the pond, and from most accounts, it is worth the wait. The movie will center around German climbers Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser (Played by Benno Furmann and Florian Lukas respective), who were spurred on by nationalism and Nazi pride, to make an attempt on the most dangerous and notorious rock face in the Alps.

The climb begins innocently enough, but conditions soon begin to erode on the mountain, and two men find themselves in a race against time, with the elements closing in around them, and while they are suspended on one of the most challenging and physically demanding rock faces anywhere in the world.

For those that haven't seen it, I've posted the trailer once again. The film looks like it was stunningly shot, and I'm already looking forward to catching it. I'm glad it's finally coming stateside, as it's obviously better late then never.

Upcoming Movie North Face Set To Wash Vertical Limit From Our Minds

Mountaineering films have had a long and storied history in cinema, some good, some not so good. But when I came across this trail for a German film called North Face this morning on the Outside Blog, I couldn't help but be impressed. The film centers around two climbers taking on the North Face of the Eiger in an era when national pride could rest on the shoulders of mountaineers. The film looks beautifully shot, and appears to have faithfully recreated a climbing experience during the Nazi era. Screenings for the film are fairly sparse at the moment, but perhaps they'll add more opportunities for all of us to catch this. Otherwise, there is always Netflix! Looks great!