The BBC reports Steck was famous for his rapid ascents and had reached Mount Everest’s summit without oxygen in 2012, and in 2015 climbed all 82 Alpine peaks over 4,000m (13,100ft) in 62 days. Steck was in the process of acclimatizing for an attempt on the mountain without oxygen by a new route when he died.
Further details will emerge in coming days and we will be sure to update this story but for now we should pay tribute to a man who redefined alpine speed climbing and set a string of records speed solo ascents of classic routes that blew people’s minds.
Here is “The Swiss Machine” in the pocket, fully at the top of his game hauling ass up the Eyger. This guy was something else:
[images from Ueli’s Facebook Page]