Swiss Climber Ueli Steck Solos Shisha Pangma in Just 10.5 Hours

Ueli Steck, renowned Swiss alpinist and Mountain Hardwear-sponsored athlete known for speed records in the Alps, takes his era-defining speed style to the Himalaya. Ueli has summited the Tibetan giant of Shisha Pangma (8027-meters and 14th highest in the world) in a mere 10.5 hours, but it’s only the beginning.

Holding impressive speed records on the Eiger, the Matterhorn and les Grandes Jorasses, Ueli is now focused on the Himalaya bringing his light and fast, solo approach to the tallest peaks on the planet, and Shisha Pangma is only the first in what Ueli dubs Project Himalaya.

Ueli left base camp at 5,306 meters on Saturday April 16th at 10:30 p.m. to solo-climb the southwest face and summit in just 10.5 hours. It is reported that just 20 hours after departure Ueli was back at base camp recovering comfortably from the high alpine assault already thinking about what’s next up in the high mountains of Tibet.

Ueli’s success on Shisha Pangma can be attributed to his Olympic-level training regime he has followed the past three years, and the two months he spent this spring training and acclimatizing in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Using sprints up Lobuche and Cholatse as warm-ups for the real deal, Ueli is redefining what is possible in alpine climbing.

For the full back story, on-site video and insights into the unfolding chapters of Project Himalaya, visit: www.HimalayaSpeed.com