Famed Climber Dies In Accident Near Mt. Everest

The celebrated Swiss mountain climber Ueli Steck died on April 30, 2017 during a training accident near Mount Everest. Steck was in the process of acclimatizing on Mount Nuptse in preparation for an expedition to Mount Everest and nearby Lhotse. Before his death, he garnered worldwide acclaim from his speed climbing records, including a three-hour ascent of Eiger’s notorious north face and a time record for Matterhorn. Steck was dubbed the “Swiss Machine” for such feats, and was awarded two Piolet d’Or medals of excellence in mountaineering. Ueli Steck died after he slipped and fell into a crevasse at the Nuptse wall at approximately 6,600 meters. As he was considered to be among the premier alpine mountaineers in the world, Steck’s tragic death highlights the universal danger posed by such extreme environments. His death represents the first of the Everest climbing season.