Conference of Ueli Steck

„High Performance Through Perfection“

Speed Records on all three big north faces in the : , Grandes Jorasses and

In the past three years, Ueli Steck has occupied himself with the speed ascents on the three big north faces in the Alps. He started with the Eiger Northface on the Heckmair route. 2007 with rope belaying. 2008 without rope belaying and withouth having any traces to follow. Then the Grandes Jorasses at the end of 2008. On sight, what means that he never climbed this route ever before and again without rope belaying and with the additional alternative of Alexis. Two impressive pitches in the vertical with slightly overhanging ice. And to complete the last one of the three big Northfaces in the Alps: the Matterhorn.

During all three speed ascents Ueli Steck used the rope only as a possibility for returning safely in case he had to back off. He had the chance to study many times the Eiger's North face. The North faces of the Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn he climbed without having explored them before.

For Ueli Steck this is a very important fact. That he is able to climb fast in unknown territory. He is fully aware that these speed ascents are nothing new. But for him personally they remain very particular: personal impressions and very high athletic performances. These are success that will remain for a life time.

The fact to be able to climb a wall without additional means enables him a lot for other ascents. Speed ascents also mean a big risk. They are not only the result of fitness but also of strategy, technique and high risk. Ueli Steck has sometimes trusted only on his crampons. This is extremely efficient and fast, is going well, until your foot slips away. With the necessary concentration and focus on the goal, this does not happen. But the more often you do these things the greater is the chance that the concentration may not be so high…

For Ueli Steck it’s clear: these speed records are a chapter in his career as an alpinist. His main goal is to move on. If possible, quickly. And if necessary without rope belays.

 13.2.2008 Eiger Northface, Route Heckmair: 2 hours 47 min  28.12.2008 Grandes Jorasses Northface, Route Macintyre : 2 hours 21 min  13.01.2009 Matterhorn Northface, Route Schmid: 1 hour 56 min

Behind this success of Ueli Steck, who turned his passion into his profession, there is a lot of hard work. Ueli Steck followed this way consequently to become a top athlete in alpinism.

Biography

Born on October 4, 1976 in Emmental he first started to play ice hockey, but he stopped once he got in touch with climbing and . He soon gains a name in the scene of climbers and alpinists not only because of his extraordinary talent but also because of his spirit to take high risks. Today’s he is considered to be one of the world’s best alpinists. Ueli, a skilled carpenter and today professional mountain climber and Opinion Leader of New Rock (www.newrocksport.ch) emphasizes himself through his great self control. Although he likes to run with his head against a brick wall, he is capable of catching other people with his joy of life. He lives a philosophy, which does not only encourage sportsmen to live their lives more intensively. For his extraordinary performances in alpinism he was nominated in 2005 for the „Piolet d’Or“, comparable to the Oscar. His palmarès includes extremely difficult classic faces, some solo routes, ice- und mixed routes, sport routes, big walls, first ascents.

September 24, 2009 Summit success for Ueli Steck on Makalu (8463m) on the normal route. Unfortunately he could not succeed over the originally planned route over the west pillar, due to the very difficult conditions on the route. July 10, 2009 Ueli Steck summits Gasherbrum II (8035m) on the normal route. It is his first peak over 8000 meters. He needs 14 ½ hours from camp 2 at 6500 meters to summit (8035m) and back to camp 2. May 2009: Ueli Steck free-climbs on sight “Golden Gate” on El Capitan (5.13b, 41 pitches) and fell on only a single pitch onsighting the rest of the climb. April 25, 2009: Ueli Steck and Simon Anthamatten are hounoured with the „Piolets d’Or 2009“ for their first ascent in the alpine style of Tengkampoche Northface (6500m), Khumbu Valley, Nepal in April 2008. January 13, 2009: Ueli Steck needs 1 hours and 56 minutes to climb the Schmid route on the Matterhorn. He finishes his long achieved project, to climb all three big northfaces in the Alps (Eigernorthface, Grandes Jorasses and Matterhorn) in record times and solo. December 28, 2008: Speed record on the Grandes Jorasses. Ueli Steck climbs the Colton- Macintyre route via the Alexis variant in 2 hours and 21 minutes. September 26, 2008: Ueli Steck und Simon Anthamatten are honoured with the „Prix Courage 2008“ for their courage and unselfish rescue action at the on May 2008. They didn’t hesitate and helped two comrades in need. 29./30 August 2008: First freeclimb of the new route „Paciencia“, the most difficult sportsclimbing route in the Eiger Northface. Length 900m, 27 pitches, difficulty 8a May 30, 2008: Ueli Steck was honoured with the „Eiger Award“. This award has been given away fort he first time. April 2008: while preparing for Annapurna Southface, Ueli Steck and his team mate Simon Anthamatten summit Tengkampoche climbing in a first ascent through Tenkampoche’s technical difficult and demanding northface (6500m), 2000m high, in Khumbu Valley, Nepal. They called this new route “Checkmate”. Difficulty: VI/85 degrees, ice M7+ / 6A0. February 13, 2008: almost a year to the day since he first broke the speed record for climbing the North Face of the Eiger, Ueli Steck sets a new fastest time soloing the face in 2hr 47min 33sec. February 2008: mental and physical perfectionism. Several routes free solo, such as Hot Tuna (7c), Schweizerhalle (7b+), combination Hot Tuna/Quasar 8a. All routes were climbed in the climbing region of Leen near Interlaken.

April 2007: during his acclimatization time for his Annapurna project, he climbed solo the West Face of the 7161m Pumori in only 24 hours up and down. His attempt to climb the Annapurna south face (8091m) on a direct route was stopped all of a sudden. A stone hit him straight on his head. He had to interrupt the expedition immediately. May 2007: Ueli Stecks attempt to summit solo Annapurna Southface (8091m) on a direct route was stopped all of a sudden. A stone hit him straight on his head. He had to interrupt the expedition immediately. February 2007: he sets a new record climbing solo the classic Heckmair route in 3h54minutes. He broke the old record, which was held by Christoph Hainz since 2003. July 2006:, Ueli summited with two companions the 7710m East Peak of Gasherbrum 2 after having completed the first ascent of Magic Line. Early 2006: Ueli completed the second and this time solo ascent of his route “The Young Spider” on the Eiger. During 5 days, Ueli climbed through the Diretissima on the North Face. 2005: nomination for the “Piolet d’Or” (comparable to the Oscar in the film industry) 2005: Spring, two weeks after Tawoche, attempt to summit Ama Dablam. Due to bad weather, Ueli Steck had to back off from his summit attempt. 2005: Spring, two weeks after Cholatse: first solo-ascent of Tawoche (6506m). 2005: Spring: first solo ascent of 1500 meter high Cholatse Northface (6640) in only 37 hours. 2004: Winter solo-ascent of Eiger Northface and several other shorter routes, all solo 2004: Free Solo routes of “Excalibur” and “Silberfinger” 2004: North faces of Eiger, Mönch and in only 25 hours together with alpinist Stephan Siegrist 2003: first freeclimb of “La Vida es Silbar” in the Eiger Northface. Length 900m, difficulty 7c 2002: 28 pitches “Blood from the Stone” (5.9, A1/M7+, Wi6+), first ascent at Mount Dickey in Alaska 2001: first ascent Eiger Northface “The Young Spider”, one of the most demanding routes through the wall, a Superdiretissima. www.uelisteck.ch

Practical information

Conference Ueli Steck “High Performance through perfection”

01/07/2010 at the BOZAR – Paleis voor schone kunsten/Palais des beaux arts/Centre for Fine Arts (rue) Ravensteinstraat 23 1000 Brussel(s)

INFO & TICKETS Tel.: 02 / 507 82 00 online: www.bozar.be 10 euro VVK/PAF/presale – 12 euro kassa/caisse/

DEUREN/PORTES/DOORS 19.30u (start 20.00u)

Organisation

Sponsor Event

Sponsors Ueli Steck