Outdoor/05/03/2017

Reactions to his tragic death: "Ueli Steck made the impossible possible"

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There has been a great outpouring of sympathy and condolences for Ueli Steck and his family from the Alpine sports community. The extreme mountaineer had been on an exploratory tour of the area around Mount Everest when he died on April 30. Only a few hours after the 40-year-old Swiss mountaineer's death was announced, Facebook and Twitter were overwhelmed with posts reacting to the news. Many of Steck's prominent mountaineering colleagues also paid their respects to the record-breaking Alpine mountaineer. 

Ueli Steck died while on an exploratory tour.
Ueli Steck was 40 years old at the time of his death. Source: Uelisteck.ch, Damiano Levati

David Göttler and Stefan Glowacz mourn Steck

According to current information, Steck lost his footing on a slope while exploring the Nuptse Wall. German mountaineer David Göttler had accompanied Steck on many trips in the past few years, including climbs in the area in which the Swiss mountaineer died.


Göttler expressed his condolences through an emotional message on Facebook alongside a photo of Steck while lead climbing. 


Unlike Steck, who specialized in high altitude mountaineering, Stefan Glowacz focuses on climbing. Nevertheless, Glowacz was an avid follower of the speed specialist's activities.  


Ueli Steck was an inspiration for Stephan Siegrist and Ines Papert

Compatriot Stephan Siegrist is a mountaineer and climber and has been the first to ascend mountains on all seven continents. He knew Steck from their youth.


Alpine mountaineer Ines Papert feels right at home in this world of ice and rock faces. She too has been greatly affected by Ueli Steck's death:


Steck's death shocks the outdoor industry

Steck's sponsors simply cannot believe the loss of such a significant member of the mountaineering community. Watch manufacturer Suunto pays its respects to such a great source of inspiration.



In a guest contribution for ISPO.com, Bernd Kullmann, former top-class Alpine mountaineer and CEO of Deuter, shared his thoughts on the death of the extreme mountaineer. Companies other than the Steck's outfitters, such as Mammut, also expressed their condolences and sympathy through various messages.


Ueli Steck died at the age of 40. The respects mountaineering colleagues paid following his death demonstrate just how much of a legend he had become in his lifetime.


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Claudia Klingelhöfer Author: Claudia Klingelhöfer (editor in chief)