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18/04/2011 - by Planetmountain
"Ueli Steck top speed solo on Shisha Pangma
On 17/04/2011 Swissman Ueli Steck ascended Shisha Pangma (8027m), Tibet in record time.
After a month acclimatising in the Khumbu region, Ueli Steck has kicked off his Himalayan season with a bang: in a mere 10.5 hours the Swissman climbed
Shisha Pangma, at 8027m the 14th highest mountain in the world.
Making the most of the weather window Steck set off from ABC at 5800m at 22:30 on Saturday at 22:30, and climbed the SW Face in 10. 5 hours. 20 hours after departure he was already back in Base Camp. The blitz climb was carried out alone, after his partner Don Bowie's wise forfeit since he did not feel perfectly acclimatised.
Details here:
http://www.uelisteck.ch/en/news/news/230-erfolg-am-shisha-pangma-detailbericht.html
Shisha Pangma is Steck's third 8000er, after Gasherbrum II in July 2009 and Makalu in September that same year. The alpinists have now time to celebrate: they're already focused on the next objective, Cho Oyu (8201m). Naturally to be climbed in Ueli Steck style, i.e. in record time."
Notes from::
http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?keyid=38082
More on the peak and a previous solo of the Soulth Face by American, Chris Warner, on his 16:40 hour summit climb. See Chris' comments (comment section) which made me aware of his climb in 2001. And the link to his trip report on Shared Summits.
http://www.sharedsummits.com/index.php/Shishapangma-2001.html
http://www.8000ers.com/cms/shisha-pangma-general-info-198.html
Ueli Steck's Project Himalaya from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.
Last Spring in the Sierra
8 years ago
4 comments:
Not to put myself in Steck's cramponed footsteps, but I soloed the South Face of Shish in 2001 in 16:40 (from ABC to the Summit). It was the 19th day from leaving home in Maryland, USA. The Scott route is amazing and leads to within a few hundred easy feet of the summit. There is no quicker, and few more aesthetic, lines on an 8000 meter peak.
Dana, great site. I have been visiting (and sending clothing designers to it) for months now. Keep up the great and exhaustive work.
Chris
Hi Chris.
I should keep up on what is going on more ;-) Belated congrads on your Shish climb and well done!
I saw Brad J. Mentioned. That the same Brad from CO that I spent some time in Alaska with back in the '80s?
Thanks for the kind comments on the blog.
best,
Dane
Brad Johnson (who I imagine is the same Brad you met in Alaska) and I summited Cho Oyu together in 1999. We then went to Shish arriving in BC the day that Dave Bridges and Alex Lowe were killed in the big avalanche. The conditions were so crazy dangerous because of that storm cycle (I think about 20 climbers died across the Himalaya that week). We called off our attempt that year. I came back alone in 2001, trying to purge bad memories from guiding Everest in the Spring. Wanted to get in some real climbing to prove to myself I still had the desire. Soloing Shish was a good reminder that there is so much beauty in our sport, if you put style first and summits second.
Yep, same Brad...it truly is small world isn't? Saw Brad and his Dad at OR this year and caught up a bit.
Thanks for adding the commentary and history
10 years ago and a fast solo. Not that you needed it, but Ueli just put the effort of your climb into perspective I think :)
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