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Outdoor I 05/03/2017

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

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
Image credit: 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.

Image gallery
40 Years After Messner's Wild Solo Ride: The World's Best Climbers
Reinhold Messner is probably the most famous mountaineer in Germany. Born in South Tirol, he was the first to climb the Mount Everest without additional oxygen (1987) and also the first who stood on top of all 14 eight-thousanders (1986). Moreover, the allrounder was the first who ascended an eight-thousanders all on his own (Nanga Parbat, 1978).
Tenzai Norsing
By ascending the K2 in 2011, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner was the first woman ever to ascend all eight-thousanders and the first who managed this without additional oxygen. However, the 1970 born Austrian is not keen on records. " If it was all about records, I would have taken the easiest route everywhere [...] Being the first is not important to me".
As the younger half of the "Huberbuam" Alexander Huber established his reputation as extreme mountaineer. The Bavarian holds numerous speed records and is one of the most defining free climbers of the 21st century. As the first human ever, he climbed a 9a+ route (Open Air at the Schleierwaterfall in Austria).
"Swiss Machine" was how Ueli Steck (1976-2017) was called. The speed climber broke multiple records on challenging routes. From June 5th until the 5th of August, Steck ascended all 82 four-thousanders of the Alps. In 2014 he received the Piole d'Or, after he ascended the Annapurna-South-Wall in 28 hours on his own, according to his own disclosures. In 2017 Steck died during training climbing at Nuptse.
As the first woman ever, Edurne Passaban ascended all 14 eight-thousanders ( the expeditions by the Corean Oh Eun-Sun are not officially accomplished.) She lost 2 toes at the K2 because of frost-bite. In 2011 she was rewarded as athlete of the year in Spain.
The Italian Walter Bonatti (1930-2011) was only 19 years old when he ascended the most difficult walls in the alps. In addition, he was part of an expedition in 1954, which mastered the first ascend of the K2. The Petit Dru's south-west pillar was named "Bonattipillar" after Bonatti's 6 days-long solo run in 1955. In 1961 he was part of the Mont-Blanc-Expedition, from which 4 alpinists did not return, known as the Freney-Tragedy. Bonatti ended his career as a extreme alpinists in the same year.
Dani Arnold
Herman Buhl (1924-1957) was the first who conquered the Nanga Parbat and belonged to the first ascendants of the Broad Peak. In 1957 Buhl fell at the Chogolisa (7654m) and is officially missing ever since. He revolutionised alpinism by ascending with only light baggage. Buhl was the first who mastered the final part of an eight-thousanders on his own and without extra oxygen.
If the Broad Peak Central was recognized its very own pillar, there would be only one person who ascended all, then 15, eight-thousanders: Jerzy Kukuczka (1948-1989). The Pole was the second human, after Reinhold Messner, who ascended all eight-thousanders. 1989 Kukucka died at the Lhotse south wall as he fell 2 kilometres.
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Claudia Klingelhöfer
Author:
Claudia Klingelhöfer (editor in chief)
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Claudia Klingelhöfer
Author:
Claudia Klingelhöfer (editor in chief)
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