An experienced Swiss climber died on Sunday after he fell in the Everest region of Nepal during preparations to climb the world’s highest mountain, the first to perish in the current climbing season, officials said.
Ueli Steck, 40, died after falling to the foot of Mount Nuptse, a smaller peak in the area, said Mingma Sherpa of the Seven Summits Treks company that organised Steck’s expedition.
Steck was in the area acclimatising ahead of a bid to climb Everest through the less-climbed West Ridge route and traverse to Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest peak – at 8,516 meters (27,940 feet) in May.
“His body has been retrieved and is being brought to Kathmandu,” Sherpa told Reuters. Other details were not immediately available.
Kamal Prasad Parajuli, an official with Nepal’s Department of Tourism, confirmed Steck died while climbing Nuptse and that he had planned to attempt an Everest ascent.
Hundreds of climbers are at Everest base camp as they prepare to climb the 8,850 meter (29,035 feet) Everest Summit in the current March-May climbing season. (Reuters)
Climbing achievements
- 1995 Eiger north face, Heckmair route (1800 m)
- 1998 Monch, Haston couloir, solo in 3.5 hours (1000 m)
- 1999 Eiger northeast face (Lauper route), solo in 5 hours (1800 m)
- 2000
- Eiger north face, Yeti route, second ascent (7c/A0)
- Monch north face, Direttissima, first ascent (1000 m M5/Wi5)
- 2001
- Grandes Jorasses Walker Spur, winter ascent (1200 m)
- Pumori west face, first ascent (1400 m M4/80 degree ice) with Ueli Buhler
- Eiger North Face, first ascent via “The Young Spider” (1800 m M7/WI6; 7a/A2)
- 2002 Mount Dickey, Alaska, east face, first ascent (“Blood from the Stone” route, 1700 m M7 + AI6 5.9/A1)
- 2002/03 Two attempts at Jannu north face (7710 m) Nepal, along with Erhard Loretan
- 2003
- Punta Heron (Patagonia)
- Eiger north face, La vida es Silbar redpointed, (900 m 7c)
- Eiger north face, Paciencia, first ascent (900 m 8a) with Stephan Siegrist.
- 2004 Trilogy Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau (north faces) in 25 hours
- 2005 (Khumbu-Express) First solo ascent of Taboche east face (6515 m) and Cholatse north face (6440 m)
- 2006
- Matterhorn north face, solo ascent
- Eiger north face, winter solo ascent of “The Young Spider”
- Gasherbrum II East (7772 m) NE face, first ascent
- 2007 Eiger north face, Heckmair route, speed record in 3:54 hours, solo
- 2008
- Eiger north face, Heckmair route, speed record in 2:47:33 hours, solo
- Grandes Jorasses north face, Colton–McIntyre speed-record route in 2:21 hours, solo
- Tengkampoche north face (6500 m, Nepal) with Simon Anthamatten, first ascent in alpine style (no bolts, no fixed ropes, four days for the ascent and descent), winner of the Piolet d’Or.
- Eiger north face, Paciencia, first free ascent (900 m 8a) with Stephan Siegrist. This route represents the hardest rock climbing route on Eiger north face.
- 2009
- Matterhorn north face, Schmid route speed-record in 1:56 hours, solo
- Gasherbrum II, solo ascent
- Makalu, normal route
- 2011
- Shishapangma south face solo in 10:30 hours.
- Cho Oyu, via the northwest face (normal route), 18 days after the Shishapangma solo ascent
- 2012, Everest, via the South Col – southeast ridge (normal route) without supplemental oxygen
- 2013, Annapurna, solo ascent via the south face in 28 hours, winner of the Piolet d’Or.
Awards
- 2008 Eiger Award for his alpinistic performances
- 2009 Piolet d’Or for his new route on Tengkampoche north face with Simon Anthamatten
- 2010 Karl Unterkircher Award for his climbing versatility
- 2014 Piolet d’Or for his solo ascent of Annapurna south face
