Ueli Steck has successfully summited 26,545-foot Annapurna’s south face on October 9th, 2013 solo. He sent a text from base camp at 2am on Oct. 9th that simply said:
“Summit, alone, South Face.”
This is the first time Annapurna’s south face has been climbed solo.
Ueli has attempted the South Face of Annapurna twice before unsuccessfully. In 2007, he was hit by rock and fell about 1,000 feet. In 2008, he abandoned his attempt to rescue a Spanish climber.
This year, it all came together, and it came together solo. Ueli climbed with Canadian Don Bowie on acclimatization climbs up to 20,000-feet but did the face himself.
The south face of Annapurna is about 8,200-vertical feet and considered “one of the biggest, steepest, and most historic Himalayan wallls.” This certainly is an impressive feat of endurance and concentration from a man who is truly a machine.
“The south face of Annapurna was first climbed in 1970 by a mostly British expedition, using big-wall tactics to overcome previously unheard-of difficulties on a Hiamalyan 8,000-meter peak. Since then, at least three other routes have been completed on the main south face, as well as several routes to the summit of Roc Noir, a subsidiary peak on the far right side of the face.” – climbing.com
Ueli was recently in the press in May when he was involved in “The Fight on Everest” when he and 2 other Europeans got into a violent fight with 100 Sherpas.
ANNAPURNA INFO:
Annapurna (Sanskrit, Nepali, Nepal Bhasa: अन्नपुर्ण) is a section of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal that includes 8,091 m (26,545 ft) Annapurna I, thirteen additional peaks over 7,000 m (22,970 ft) and 16 more over 6,000 m (19,690 ft).[3] This section is a 55 km-long (34 mi-long) massif bounded by the Kali Gandaki Gorge on the west, the Marshyangdi River on the north and east, and Pokhara Valley on the south. Annapurna I is tenth among Earth’s fourteen eight-thousanders. 8167 metre Dhaulagiri I rises 34 km to the west across the Kali Gandaki Gorge, considered Earth’s deepest canyon.
Annapurna is a Sanskrit name which literally means “full of food” (feminine form), but is normally translated as Goddess of the Harvests. In Hinduism, Annapurna is “… the universal and timeless kitchen-goddess … the mother who feeds. Without her there is starvation, a universal fear: This makes Annapurna a universal goddess … Her most popular shrine is located in Kashi, on the banks of the river Ganga.” Her association with the giving of food (wealth) led her in time to be transformed intoLakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth.[4]
The entire massif and surrounding area are protected within the 7,629 km2 Annapurna Conservation Area, the first and largest conservation area in Nepal. The Annapurna Conservation Area is home to several world-class treks, including the Annapurna Circuit.
The Annapurna peaks are among the world’s most dangerous mountains to climb, although in more recent history, using figures from only 1990 and after, Kangchenjunga has a higher fatality rate.[5] As of the end of 2009, there had been 157 summit ascents of Annapurna I, and 60 climbing fatalities on the mountain.[6] This fatality-to-summit ratio (38%) is the highest of any of the eight-thousanders. In particular, the ascent via the south face is considered, by some, the most difficult of all climbs. – wikipedia
If I had to choose, Ueli would be my man crush.