Eiger
Encyclopedia
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps
in Switzerland
. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch
to the Jungfrau
at 4,158 m. The northern side of the mountain rises about 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above Grindelwald
and other inhabited valleys of the Bernese Oberland
, and the southern side faces the deeply glaciated region of the Jungfrau-Aletsch, covered by some of the largest glaciers in the Alps
.
The first ascent of the Eiger was made by Swiss guides Christian Almer
and Peter Bohren and Irishman Charles Barrington, who climbed the west flank on August 11, 1858. The north face, 1,800 m (5,900 ft) (German
: Nordwand, "north wall"), was first climbed in 1938 by an Austrian-German expedition and is one of the six great north faces of the Alps
. Since 1935, at least sixty-four climbers have died attempting the north face, earning it the German nickname Mordwand, literally "murder(ous) wall".
From Kleine Scheidegg
a railway tunnel runs inside the Eiger and two internal stations provide easy access to viewing-windows in the mountainside. This railway, the Jungfraubahn
rack railway
, terminates in the Jungfraujoch
, between the Mönch and the Jungfrau, at the highest railway station
in Europe.
The Eiger is mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century but there is no clear indication of how exactly the peak gained its name. The three mountains of the ridge are commonly referred to as the Virgin (German: Jungfrau - translates to "virgin" or "maiden"), the Monk (Mönch) and the Ogre (Eiger). The name has been linked to the Latin term acer, meaning "sharp" or "pointed," but more commonly to the German
eigen, meaning "characteristic."
, in the northeastern part of the Bernese Alps
. At the same distance to the north lies the village of Grindelwald
, which is about 20 km from Interlaken
. Other close settlements lie to the west, in the valley of Lauterbrunnen
. The river Schwarze Lütschine flows from the Lower Grindelwald Glacier
on the mountains eastern base. The mountain does not properly form part of the main chain of the Bernese Alps. It is a huge limestone buttress, projecting from the granitic mass of the Mönch
across the Eigerjoch
, and the glaciers on either flank feed two branches of the same stream—the Lütschine—that flow together to the Aar.
The massive wall of the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger itself is, from many places on the north side of the Swiss Alps
, the most visible massif of the Bernese Alps
, thus making the region a major tourist destination in the Alps. The higher Finsteraarhorn
(4,270 m) and Aletschhorn
(4,190 m), which are located about 10 km to the south, are generally less visible and situated in the middle of glaciers in less accessible areas. The south side of the massif consists only of large glaciers: Aletsch, Fiesch
and Lower Grindelwald
and is thus uninhabited. The whole area, the Jungfrau-Aletsch, comprising the highest summits and largest glaciers of the Bernese Alps, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
In July 2006, a piece of the Eiger amounting to approximately 700,000 cubic metres of rock, fell from the east face. As it had been noticeably cleaving for several weeks and fell into an uninhabited area, there were no injuries and no buildings were hit.
The Nordwand, German
for "north wall" or "north face," is the spectacular north (or, more precisely, northwest) face of the Eiger (also known as the Eigernordwand: "Eiger north wall"). It is one of the six great north faces of the Alps
, towering over 1,800 m (5,900 ft) above Kleine Scheidegg
. At 2,866 metres inside the mountain lies the Eigernordwand railway station
. The station is connected to the north face by a tunnel opening at the face, which has sometimes been used to rescue climbers.
It was first climbed on July 24, 1938 by Anderl Heckmair
, Ludwig Vörg
, Heinrich Harrer
and Fritz Kasparek
, a German
–Austria
n group. The group had originally consisted of two independent teams; Harrer and Kasparek were joined on the face by Heckmair and Vörg, who had started their ascent a day later and had been helped by the fixed rope that the lead group had left across the Hinterstoisser Traverse
. The two groups, led by the experienced Heckmair, cooperated on the more difficult later pitches, and finished the climb roped together as a single group of four.
A portion of the upper face is called "The White Spider," as snow-filled cracks radiating from an ice-field resemble the legs of a spider
. Harrer used this name for the title of his book about his successful climb, Die Weisse Spinne (translated into English as The White Spider: The Classic Account of the Ascent of the Eiger). During the first successful ascent, the four men were caught in an avalanche as they climbed the Spider, but all had enough strength to resist being swept off the face.
Since then, the north face has been climbed many times. Today it is regarded as a formidable challenge more because of the increased rockfall and diminishing ice-fields than because of its technical difficulties, which are not at the highest level of difficulty in modern alpinism. That distinction lies with the 8,000 meter peaks in the Himalaya and Karakoram
. In summer the face is often unclimbable because of rockfall, and climbers are increasingly electing to climb it in winter, when the crumbling face is strengthened by ice.
Since 1935, at least sixty-four climbers have died attempting the north face, earning it the German nickname, Mordwand, or "murderous wall", a play on the face's German name Nordwand.
While the summit was reached without much difficulty in 1858 by a complex route on the west flank, the battle to climb the north face has captivated the interest of climbers and non-climbers alike. Before it was successfully climbed, most of the attempts on the face ended tragically and the Bernese authorities even banned climbing it and threatened to fine any party that should attempt it again. But the enthusiasm which animated the young talented climbers from Austria and Germany finally vanquished its reputation of unclimbability when a party of four climbers successfully reached the summit in 1938 by what is known as the "1938" or "Heckmair" route.
The climbers that attempted the north face could be easily watched through the telescopes from the Kleine Scheidegg
, a pass between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, connected by rail. The contrast between the comfort and civilization of the railway station and the agonies of the young men slowly dying a short yet uncrossable distance away led to intensive coverage by the international media.
After World War II, the north face was climbed twice in 1947, first by a party of two French guides, Louis Lachenal
and Lionel Terray
, then by a Swiss party consisting of H. Germann, with Hans and Karl Schlunegger.
. Barrington describes the route much as it is followed today, staying close to the edge of the north face much of the way. They reached the summit at about noon, stayed for some 10 minutes and descended in about four hours. Barrington describes the reaching of the top, saying, "the two guides kindly gave me the place of first man up." Their ascent was confirmed by observation of a flag left on the summit. According to Harrer's The White Spider
, Barrington was originally planning to make the first ascent of the Matterhorn
, but his finances did not allow him to travel there as he was already staying in the Eiger region.
and Max Sedlmayr, arrived at Grindelwald to attempt to climb the face. They waited a long time for good weather and when the clouds finally cleared they started. The two climbers reached the height of the Eigerwand station and had their first bivouac
. On the following day, because of the greater difficulties, they gained little height. On the third day, they hardly made any vertical ground. At night a storm broke and the mountain was hidden in fog, then it began to snow. Avalanches of snow began to sweep the face and the clouds closed over it. Two days later, there was a short moment when the clouds cleared and the mountain was visible for a while. People obtained a glimpse of the two men, who were now a little higher and about to bivouac for the fifth time. Then the fog came down again and hid the climbers. A few days later the weather finally cleared, revealing a completely white north face. The two climbers were found later frozen to death at 3,300 m, at a place now known as "Death Bivouac".
The next year ten young climbers from Austria and Germany came to Grindelwald and camped at the foot of the mountain. Before their attempts started, one of them was killed during a training climb, and the weather was so bad during that summer that after waiting for a change and seeing none on the way, several members of the party gave up. Of the four that remained, two were Bavarians, Andreas Hinterstoisser
and Toni Kurz
, the youngest of the party, and two were Austrians, Willy Angerer and Edi Rainer. When the weather improved they made a preliminary exploration of the lowest part of the face. Hinterstoisser fell 37 metres (121.4 ft) but was not injured. A few days later the four men finally began the ascent of the face. They climbed quickly, but on the next day, after their first bivouac, the weather changed; clouds came down and hid the group to the observers. They did not resume the climb until the following day, when, during a break, the party was seen descending, but the climbers could only be watched intermittently from the ground. The group had no choice but to retreat since Angerer suffered some serious injuries as a result of falling rock. The party became stuck on the face when they could not recross the difficult Hinterstoisser Traverse where they had taken the rope they first used to climb. The weather then deteriorated for two days. They were ultimately swept away by an avalanche, which only Kurz survived, hanging on a rope. Three guides started on an extremely perilous rescue. They failed to reach him but came within shouting distance and learned what had happened. Kurz explained the fate of his companions: one had fallen down the face, another was frozen above him, the third had fractured his skull in falling, and was hanging dead on the rope.
In the morning the three guides came back, traversing across the face from a hole near the Eigerwand station and risking their lives under incessant avalanches. Toni Kurz was still alive but almost helpless, with one hand and one arm completely frostbitten. Kurz hauled himself off the cliff after cutting loose the rope that bound him to his dead teammate below and climbed back on the face. The guides were not able to pass an unclimbable overhang that separated them from Kurz. They managed to give him a rope long enough to reach them by tying two ropes together. While descending, Kurz could not get the knot to pass through his carabiner. He tried for hours to reach his rescuers who were only a few metres below him. Then he began to lose consciousness. One of the guides, climbing on another's shoulders, was able to touch the tip of Kurz's crampons with his ice-axe but could not reach higher. Kurz was unable to descend farther and, completely exhausted, died slowly.
. Although the attempt was unsuccessful, they were nonetheless the first climbers who returned alive from a serious attempt on the face. They started the climb on 11 August and reached a high point of a few rope lengths above Death Bivouac. A storm then broke and after three days on the wall they had to retreat. This was the first successful withdrawal from a significant height on the wall.
, Ludwig Vörg
, Heinrich Harrer
and Fritz Kasparek
in a German
–Austria
n party. The party had originally consisted of two independent teams: Harrer (who did not have a pair of crampons
on the climb) and Kasparek were joined on the face by Heckmair and Vörg, who had started their ascent a day later and had been helped by the fixed rope that the lead team had left across the Hinterstoisser Traverse
. The two groups, led by the experienced Heckmair, decided to join their forces and roped together as a single group of four. Heckmair later wrote: "We, the sons of the older Reich, united with our companions from the Eastern Border to march together to victory."
The expedition was constantly threatened by snow avalanches and climbed as quickly as possible between the falls. On the third day a storm broke and the cold was intense. The four men were caught in an avalanche as they climbed "the Spider," the snow-filled cracks radiating from an ice-field on the upper face, but all possessed sufficient strength to resist being swept off the face. The members successfully reached the summit at four o'clock in the afternoon. They were so exhausted that they only just had the strength to descend by the normal route through a raging blizzard.
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch
Mönch
The Mönch is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and the Jungfrau it forms a highly recognisable group of mountains visible from far away....
to the Jungfrau
Jungfrau
The Jungfrau is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps, situated between the cantons of Valais and Bern in Switzerland...
at 4,158 m. The northern side of the mountain rises about 3,000 m (9,800 ft) above Grindelwald
Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at above sea level in the Bernese Alps.-Winter sports:...
and other inhabited valleys of the Bernese Oberland
Bernese Oberland
The Bernese Oberland is the higher part of the canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the southern end of the canton: The area around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the valleys of the Bernese Alps .The flag of the Bernese Oberland consists of a black eagle in a gold field The Bernese Oberland (Bernese...
, and the southern side faces the deeply glaciated region of the Jungfrau-Aletsch, covered by some of the largest glaciers in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
.
The first ascent of the Eiger was made by Swiss guides Christian Almer
Christian Almer
thumb|220px|Christian AlmerChristian Almer was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascentionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism....
and Peter Bohren and Irishman Charles Barrington, who climbed the west flank on August 11, 1858. The north face, 1,800 m (5,900 ft) (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Nordwand, "north wall"), was first climbed in 1938 by an Austrian-German expedition and is one of the six great north faces of the Alps
Great north faces of the Alps
In mountaineering, the six great north faces of the Alps are known for their difficulty and great height. They are:*Cima Grande di Lavaredo*Eiger*Grandes Jorasses*Matterhorn*Petit Dru*Piz Badile...
. Since 1935, at least sixty-four climbers have died attempting the north face, earning it the German nickname Mordwand, literally "murder(ous) wall".
From Kleine Scheidegg
Kleine Scheidegg
The Kleine Scheidegg is a high mountain pass below and between the Eiger and Lauberhorn peaks in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. It connects Grindelwald with Lauterbrunnen. The name means "minor watershed", even though it is actually higher than the neighbouring Grosse Scheidegg...
a railway tunnel runs inside the Eiger and two internal stations provide easy access to viewing-windows in the mountainside. This railway, the Jungfraubahn
Jungfraubahn
The Jungfraubahn is an gauge rack railway electrified at 3-phase 1,125 volts 50 Hertz, which runs 9 kilometres from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch...
rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
, terminates in the Jungfraujoch
Jungfraujoch
The Jungfraujoch is a col or saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais, inside the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area....
, between the Mönch and the Jungfrau, at the highest railway station
Jungfraujoch railway station
Jungfraujoch railway station is a station on the Jungfraubahn in the Swiss canton of Bern.At above sea level, this is the highest railway station in Europe. It serves the Jungfraujoch....
in Europe.
The Eiger is mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century but there is no clear indication of how exactly the peak gained its name. The three mountains of the ridge are commonly referred to as the Virgin (German: Jungfrau - translates to "virgin" or "maiden"), the Monk (Mönch) and the Ogre (Eiger). The name has been linked to the Latin term acer, meaning "sharp" or "pointed," but more commonly to the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
eigen, meaning "characteristic."
Geographic setting and description
The Eiger is located 5.5 km northeast of the JungfrauJungfrau
The Jungfrau is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps, situated between the cantons of Valais and Bern in Switzerland...
, in the northeastern part of the Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
. At the same distance to the north lies the village of Grindelwald
Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at above sea level in the Bernese Alps.-Winter sports:...
, which is about 20 km from Interlaken
Interlaken
Interlaken is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland.-History:...
. Other close settlements lie to the west, in the valley of Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The municipality lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and comprises the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Isenfluh...
. The river Schwarze Lütschine flows from the Lower Grindelwald Glacier
Lower Grindelwald Glacier
The Lower Grindelwald Glacier is the western one and the largest of the two Grindelwald Glaciers in the Bernese Alps, south of Grindelwald, the other being the Upper Grindelwald Glacier.The Lower Grindelwald Glacier covers an area of ....
on the mountains eastern base. The mountain does not properly form part of the main chain of the Bernese Alps. It is a huge limestone buttress, projecting from the granitic mass of the Mönch
Mönch
The Mönch is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland. Together with the Eiger and the Jungfrau it forms a highly recognisable group of mountains visible from far away....
across the Eigerjoch
Eigerjoch
The Eigerjoch is a high Alpine pass lying between the Mönch and the Eiger . The lowest point on the ridge is named Nördliches Eigerjoch while another pass located closer to the Mönch is named Südliches Eigerjoch....
, and the glaciers on either flank feed two branches of the same stream—the Lütschine—that flow together to the Aar.
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, the most visible massif of the Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
, thus making the region a major tourist destination in the Alps. The higher Finsteraarhorn
Finsteraarhorn
The Finsteraarhorn is the highest mountain in the Bernese Alps and the highest mountain in the canton of Berne. It is also the highest summit in the Alps lying outside the main chain, or watershed. The Finsteraarhorn is the ninth highest and third most prominent peak in the Alps...
(4,270 m) and Aletschhorn
Aletschhorn
The Aletschhorn is a mountain in the Alps in Switzerland, lying within the Jungfrau-Aletsch region, which has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO...
(4,190 m), which are located about 10 km to the south, are generally less visible and situated in the middle of glaciers in less accessible areas. The south side of the massif consists only of large glaciers: Aletsch, Fiesch
Fiescher Glacier
The Fiescher Glacier is a valley glacier on the south side of the Bernese Alps in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. in length, it is the second longest glacier in the Alps...
and Lower Grindelwald
Lower Grindelwald Glacier
The Lower Grindelwald Glacier is the western one and the largest of the two Grindelwald Glaciers in the Bernese Alps, south of Grindelwald, the other being the Upper Grindelwald Glacier.The Lower Grindelwald Glacier covers an area of ....
and is thus uninhabited. The whole area, the Jungfrau-Aletsch, comprising the highest summits and largest glaciers of the Bernese Alps, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
In July 2006, a piece of the Eiger amounting to approximately 700,000 cubic metres of rock, fell from the east face. As it had been noticeably cleaving for several weeks and fell into an uninhabited area, there were no injuries and no buildings were hit.
The Nordwand
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
for "north wall" or "north face," is the spectacular north (or, more precisely, northwest) face of the Eiger (also known as the Eigernordwand: "Eiger north wall"). It is one of the six great north faces of the Alps
Great north faces of the Alps
In mountaineering, the six great north faces of the Alps are known for their difficulty and great height. They are:*Cima Grande di Lavaredo*Eiger*Grandes Jorasses*Matterhorn*Petit Dru*Piz Badile...
, towering over 1,800 m (5,900 ft) above Kleine Scheidegg
Kleine Scheidegg
The Kleine Scheidegg is a high mountain pass below and between the Eiger and Lauberhorn peaks in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. It connects Grindelwald with Lauterbrunnen. The name means "minor watershed", even though it is actually higher than the neighbouring Grosse Scheidegg...
. At 2,866 metres inside the mountain lies the Eigernordwand railway station
Eigernordwand railway station
Eigernordwand railway station is a station on the Jungfraubahn in the Swiss canton of Bern....
. The station is connected to the north face by a tunnel opening at the face, which has sometimes been used to rescue climbers.
It was first climbed on July 24, 1938 by Anderl Heckmair
Andreas Heckmair
Andreas Heckmair was one of the four men who first climbed the north face of the Eiger in 1938....
, Ludwig Vörg
Ludwig Vörg
Ludwig 'Wiggerl' Vörg was a notable German mountaineer. With Heinrich Harrer, Fritz Kasparek, and Anderl Heckmair, he successfully climbed the north face of the Eiger in 1938, which was regarded as unclimbable at the time. He also made the first ascent of the West Face of Ushba in the Caucasus...
, Heinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer, and author.He is best known for his books Seven Years in Tibet and The White Spider .-Athletics:...
and Fritz Kasparek
Fritz Kasparek
Fritz Kasparek was an Austrian mountain climber.Kasparek gained his first alpine experiences at the Peilstein in the Wienerwald mountains and in the Ennstaler Alps...
, a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
–Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n group. The group had originally consisted of two independent teams; Harrer and Kasparek were joined on the face by Heckmair and Vörg, who had started their ascent a day later and had been helped by the fixed rope that the lead group had left across the Hinterstoisser Traverse
Andreas Hinterstoisser
Andreas Hinterstoißer, transliterated Hinterstoisser, was a German mountain climber of the early 20th century.-Climbing the Eiger:...
. The two groups, led by the experienced Heckmair, cooperated on the more difficult later pitches, and finished the climb roped together as a single group of four.
A portion of the upper face is called "The White Spider," as snow-filled cracks radiating from an ice-field resemble the legs of a spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
. Harrer used this name for the title of his book about his successful climb, Die Weisse Spinne (translated into English as The White Spider: The Classic Account of the Ascent of the Eiger). During the first successful ascent, the four men were caught in an avalanche as they climbed the Spider, but all had enough strength to resist being swept off the face.
Since then, the north face has been climbed many times. Today it is regarded as a formidable challenge more because of the increased rockfall and diminishing ice-fields than because of its technical difficulties, which are not at the highest level of difficulty in modern alpinism. That distinction lies with the 8,000 meter peaks in the Himalaya and Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
. In summer the face is often unclimbable because of rockfall, and climbers are increasingly electing to climb it in winter, when the crumbling face is strengthened by ice.
Since 1935, at least sixty-four climbers have died attempting the north face, earning it the German nickname, Mordwand, or "murderous wall", a play on the face's German name Nordwand.
Climbing history
The climbers that attempted the north face could be easily watched through the telescopes from the Kleine Scheidegg
Kleine Scheidegg
The Kleine Scheidegg is a high mountain pass below and between the Eiger and Lauberhorn peaks in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. It connects Grindelwald with Lauterbrunnen. The name means "minor watershed", even though it is actually higher than the neighbouring Grosse Scheidegg...
, a pass between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, connected by rail. The contrast between the comfort and civilization of the railway station and the agonies of the young men slowly dying a short yet uncrossable distance away led to intensive coverage by the international media.
After World War II, the north face was climbed twice in 1947, first by a party of two French guides, Louis Lachenal
Louis Lachenal
Louis Lachenal , a French climber born in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, was one of the first two mountaineers to climb a summit of more than 8,000 meters. On 3 June 1950, along with Maurice Herzog, he reached the summit of Annapurna I in Nepal at a height of 8,091 m...
and Lionel Terray
Lionel Terray
Lionel Terray was a French climber who made many first ascents, including Makalu in the Himalaya and Cerro Fitzroy in the Patagonian Andes ....
, then by a Swiss party consisting of H. Germann, with Hans and Karl Schlunegger.
First ascent
The first ascent was made by the western flank on August 11, 1858 by Charles Barrington with guides Christian Almer and Peter Bohren. They started at 3:00 a.m. from WengenWengen
Wengen may refer to:*Wengen, a village and winter resort in Switzerland*La Val, a commune in South Tyrol, Italy with the German name "Wengen"*in Germany:**Wengen , a village in the municipality of Nennslingen in Mittelfranken...
. Barrington describes the route much as it is followed today, staying close to the edge of the north face much of the way. They reached the summit at about noon, stayed for some 10 minutes and descended in about four hours. Barrington describes the reaching of the top, saying, "the two guides kindly gave me the place of first man up." Their ascent was confirmed by observation of a flag left on the summit. According to Harrer's The White Spider
The White Spider
The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer describes mountain climbing attempts of the "Eiger Nordwand" , including the first successful ascent....
, Barrington was originally planning to make the first ascent of the Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
, but his finances did not allow him to travel there as he was already staying in the Eiger region.
1935
In 1935 two young German climbers from Bavaria, Karl MehringerKarl Mehringer
Karl Mehringer was a German mountaineer and climber. Notable for being part of the first team to attempt to climb the Eiger Nordwand or North Face in 1935...
and Max Sedlmayr, arrived at Grindelwald to attempt to climb the face. They waited a long time for good weather and when the clouds finally cleared they started. The two climbers reached the height of the Eigerwand station and had their first bivouac
Bivouac
Bivouac may refer to:* Bivouac Peak, a mountain in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA* A military camp** Bivouac shelter** Bivouac sack, or "bivy sack" or bivy bag, an extremely lightweight alternative to traditional tent systems...
. On the following day, because of the greater difficulties, they gained little height. On the third day, they hardly made any vertical ground. At night a storm broke and the mountain was hidden in fog, then it began to snow. Avalanches of snow began to sweep the face and the clouds closed over it. Two days later, there was a short moment when the clouds cleared and the mountain was visible for a while. People obtained a glimpse of the two men, who were now a little higher and about to bivouac for the fifth time. Then the fog came down again and hid the climbers. A few days later the weather finally cleared, revealing a completely white north face. The two climbers were found later frozen to death at 3,300 m, at a place now known as "Death Bivouac".
1936
Andreas Hinterstoisser
Andreas Hinterstoißer, transliterated Hinterstoisser, was a German mountain climber of the early 20th century.-Climbing the Eiger:...
and Toni Kurz
Toni Kurz
Toni Kurz was a German mountain climber of the early 20th century who had many first ascents with his childhood friend Andreas Hinterstoisser...
, the youngest of the party, and two were Austrians, Willy Angerer and Edi Rainer. When the weather improved they made a preliminary exploration of the lowest part of the face. Hinterstoisser fell 37 metres (121.4 ft) but was not injured. A few days later the four men finally began the ascent of the face. They climbed quickly, but on the next day, after their first bivouac, the weather changed; clouds came down and hid the group to the observers. They did not resume the climb until the following day, when, during a break, the party was seen descending, but the climbers could only be watched intermittently from the ground. The group had no choice but to retreat since Angerer suffered some serious injuries as a result of falling rock. The party became stuck on the face when they could not recross the difficult Hinterstoisser Traverse where they had taken the rope they first used to climb. The weather then deteriorated for two days. They were ultimately swept away by an avalanche, which only Kurz survived, hanging on a rope. Three guides started on an extremely perilous rescue. They failed to reach him but came within shouting distance and learned what had happened. Kurz explained the fate of his companions: one had fallen down the face, another was frozen above him, the third had fractured his skull in falling, and was hanging dead on the rope.
In the morning the three guides came back, traversing across the face from a hole near the Eigerwand station and risking their lives under incessant avalanches. Toni Kurz was still alive but almost helpless, with one hand and one arm completely frostbitten. Kurz hauled himself off the cliff after cutting loose the rope that bound him to his dead teammate below and climbed back on the face. The guides were not able to pass an unclimbable overhang that separated them from Kurz. They managed to give him a rope long enough to reach them by tying two ropes together. While descending, Kurz could not get the knot to pass through his carabiner. He tried for hours to reach his rescuers who were only a few metres below him. Then he began to lose consciousness. One of the guides, climbing on another's shoulders, was able to touch the tip of Kurz's crampons with his ice-axe but could not reach higher. Kurz was unable to descend farther and, completely exhausted, died slowly.
1937
An attempt was made in 1937 by Matthias Rebitsch and Ludwig VörgLudwig Vörg
Ludwig 'Wiggerl' Vörg was a notable German mountaineer. With Heinrich Harrer, Fritz Kasparek, and Anderl Heckmair, he successfully climbed the north face of the Eiger in 1938, which was regarded as unclimbable at the time. He also made the first ascent of the West Face of Ushba in the Caucasus...
. Although the attempt was unsuccessful, they were nonetheless the first climbers who returned alive from a serious attempt on the face. They started the climb on 11 August and reached a high point of a few rope lengths above Death Bivouac. A storm then broke and after three days on the wall they had to retreat. This was the first successful withdrawal from a significant height on the wall.
First ascent of the north face
The north face was first climbed on July 24, 1938 by Anderl HeckmairAndreas Heckmair
Andreas Heckmair was one of the four men who first climbed the north face of the Eiger in 1938....
, Ludwig Vörg
Ludwig Vörg
Ludwig 'Wiggerl' Vörg was a notable German mountaineer. With Heinrich Harrer, Fritz Kasparek, and Anderl Heckmair, he successfully climbed the north face of the Eiger in 1938, which was regarded as unclimbable at the time. He also made the first ascent of the West Face of Ushba in the Caucasus...
, Heinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer, and author.He is best known for his books Seven Years in Tibet and The White Spider .-Athletics:...
and Fritz Kasparek
Fritz Kasparek
Fritz Kasparek was an Austrian mountain climber.Kasparek gained his first alpine experiences at the Peilstein in the Wienerwald mountains and in the Ennstaler Alps...
in a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
–Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n party. The party had originally consisted of two independent teams: Harrer (who did not have a pair of crampons
Crampons
Crampons are traction devices used to improve mobility on snow and ice. There are three main attachment systems for footwear: step-in, hybrid, and strap bindings. The first two require boots with welts, the last adapt to any type....
on the climb) and Kasparek were joined on the face by Heckmair and Vörg, who had started their ascent a day later and had been helped by the fixed rope that the lead team had left across the Hinterstoisser Traverse
Andreas Hinterstoisser
Andreas Hinterstoißer, transliterated Hinterstoisser, was a German mountain climber of the early 20th century.-Climbing the Eiger:...
. The two groups, led by the experienced Heckmair, decided to join their forces and roped together as a single group of four. Heckmair later wrote: "We, the sons of the older Reich, united with our companions from the Eastern Border to march together to victory."
The expedition was constantly threatened by snow avalanches and climbed as quickly as possible between the falls. On the third day a storm broke and the cold was intense. The four men were caught in an avalanche as they climbed "the Spider," the snow-filled cracks radiating from an ice-field on the upper face, but all possessed sufficient strength to resist being swept off the face. The members successfully reached the summit at four o'clock in the afternoon. They were so exhausted that they only just had the strength to descend by the normal route through a raging blizzard.
Other routes
- 1858: First ascent by the west flank, 11 August (Charles Barrington, Christian AlmerChristian Almerthumb|220px|Christian AlmerChristian Almer was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascentionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism....
and Peter Bohren). According to Harrer's "The White Spider," Barrington would have performed the first MatterhornMatterhornThe Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
ascent instead, but his finances did not allow him to travel there as he was already staying in the Eiger region. - 1871: First ascent by the southwest ridge, 14 July (W. A. B. CoolidgeW. A. B. CoolidgeWilliam Augustus Brevoort Coolidge was an American historian, theologian and mountaineer.Coolidge was born in New York as the son of Frederic William Skinner Coolidge, a Boston merchant, and Elisabeth Neville Brevoort of the Netherlands. He studied history and law at St...
, Meta BrevoortMeta BrevoortMarguerite "Meta" Brevoort , an American mountain climber, spent her early years in a Paris convent school. She made a number of important ascents in the Alps in the 1860s and 1870s, but was thwarted in her two greatest alpine ambitions: to be the first woman to climb the Matterhorn, and the first...
, Christian Bohren, Christian Almer and Ulrich Almer). - 1890: First ascent in winter, by Mead and Woodroffe, with guides Ulrich Kaufmann and Christian Jossi.
- 1921: 10 September: First ascent via the Mittellegi ridge by Fritz Amatter, Samuel Brawand, Yuko Maki and Fritz Steuri.
- 1924: First ski ascent via the Eiger glacier.
- 1932: First ascent via the Lauper route on the northeast face.
- 1970: First ski descent, on the west flank, by Sylvain SaudanSylvain SaudanSylvain Saudan is an extreme skier, dubbed "skier of the impossible." He is noted for skiing down large and steep mountains, including those in the Himalayas. In 2007 he survived a helicopter crash in Kashmir....
. - 1991: First Ascent, Metanoia Route, North Face, solo, winter, without bolts, Jeff Lowe
- 1992: 18 July: Three BMG/UIAGM/IFMGA clients died in a fall down the West Flank: Willie Dunnachie; Edward Gaines; and Phillip Davies. They had ascended the mountain via the Mittellegi Ridge.
- 2006: 14 June: François Bon and Antoine Montant make the first speedflying descent of the Eiger.
- 2006: 15 July: Approximately 700,000 cubic metres (20 million cubic feet) of rock from the east side collapses. No injuries or damage are reported.
1930s and 1940s
- 1934: First attempt on the face, by Willy Beck, Kurt Löwinger and Georg Löwinger, reaching 2,900 m.
- 1935: Attempt by the Germans Karl MehringerKarl MehringerKarl Mehringer was a German mountaineer and climber. Notable for being part of the first team to attempt to climb the Eiger Nordwand or North Face in 1935...
and Max SedlmeyerMax SedlmeyerMax Sedlmayr was a German mountaineer and climber. A member of the first team to attempt the North Face of the Eiger in 1935. After three days he and Karl Mehringer were overtaken by a storm at the top of the "Flat Iron" feature of the face and both were killed.- Bibliography :*The White...
. They froze to death at 3,300 m, a place now known as "Death Bivouac." - 1936: Four Austrian and German climbers, Andreas HinterstoisserAndreas HinterstoisserAndreas Hinterstoißer, transliterated Hinterstoisser, was a German mountain climber of the early 20th century.-Climbing the Eiger:...
, Toni KurzToni KurzToni Kurz was a German mountain climber of the early 20th century who had many first ascents with his childhood friend Andreas Hinterstoisser...
, Willy Angerer and Edi Rainer, died on the face in severe weather conditions during a retreat from Death Bivouac. - 1938: Alpine JournalAlpine JournalThe Alpine Journal is the yearly publication of the Alpine Club of London. It is the oldest mountaineering journal in the world.-History:The journal was first published on 2 March 1863 by the publishing house of Longmans in London, with Hereford Brooke George as its first editor...
editor Edward Lisle StruttEdward Lisle StruttLt-Col. Edward Lisle Strutt CBE, DSO was an English soldier and mountaineer, and President of the Alpine Club from 1935–38.-Family:...
calls the face "an obsession for the mentally deranged" and "the most imbecile variant since mountaineering first began." - 1938: First ascent of the north face by Anderl Heckmair, Heinrich HarrerHeinrich HarrerHeinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer, and author.He is best known for his books Seven Years in Tibet and The White Spider .-Athletics:...
, Fritz KasparekFritz KasparekFritz Kasparek was an Austrian mountain climber.Kasparek gained his first alpine experiences at the Peilstein in the Wienerwald mountains and in the Ennstaler Alps...
and Ludwig VörgLudwig VörgLudwig 'Wiggerl' Vörg was a notable German mountaineer. With Heinrich Harrer, Fritz Kasparek, and Anderl Heckmair, he successfully climbed the north face of the Eiger in 1938, which was regarded as unclimbable at the time. He also made the first ascent of the West Face of Ushba in the Caucasus...
, achieved in three days. - 1947: Second ascent of the face by FrenchmenFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Lionel TerrayLionel TerrayLionel Terray was a French climber who made many first ascents, including Makalu in the Himalaya and Cerro Fitzroy in the Patagonian Andes ....
and Louis LachenalLouis LachenalLouis Lachenal , a French climber born in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, was one of the first two mountaineers to climb a summit of more than 8,000 meters. On 3 June 1950, along with Maurice Herzog, he reached the summit of Annapurna I in Nepal at a height of 8,091 m...
.
1950s
- 1950: First one-day ascent of the face by Leo Forstenlechner and Erich Wascak, in 18 hours.
- 1957: Two ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(Claudio Corti and Stefano Longhi) and two German climbers (Franz Meyer and Gunther Nothdurft) encounter extreme difficulties in the higher part of the route, as Nothdurft becomes ill and Longhi, who is suffering from severe frostbite, falls near "the Spider" and cannot be lifted by his companions. Corti (who has been in turn hit by a falling stone) becomes the first man rescued from the face from above in a famous 54-man rescue action (first undertaken by volunteer climbers and non-Swiss guides) when German guide Alfred Hellepart is lowered from the summit on a steel cable by Ludwig Gramminger's (:de:Ludwig Gramminger) rescue system. Longhi is not so lucky, and dies of exposure before he can be rescued. Meyer and Nothdurft died in an avalancheAvalancheAn avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
on their descent of the Eiger's west face after completing the 14th ascent of the north face (they had left the injured Corti with all their provisions—including a small tent—and were trying to descend from the mountain and call rescue). The body of Longhi remained on the face for more than two years before being recovered.-
- Claudio Corti, being the sole survivor, was quite wrongly castigated by some quarters of the international press, and was held responsible for the disappearance of the two German climbers Northdurf and Mayer (Northdurf had already soloed to the Swallows Nest and back). He was accused of various dark deeds of even pushing the Germans off the face. Corti actually thought he had done the first Italian ascent of the face until it was pointed out that he had finished the climb tied to the back of another climber.
-
- 1958: Kurt DiembergerKurt DiembergerKurt Diemberger is an accomplished Austrian mountaineer and author of several books.-Career:As of 2008, Kurt Diemberger is the only remaining person alive that made the first ascents on two mountains over 8,000 metres. In 1957, he made the first ascent of Broad Peak and in 1960, the first ascent...
and Wolfgang Stefan make the thirteenth ascent. As the bodies of Nothdurft and Meyer were found later on the descent route from the Eiger—both had been killed by an avalanche—Diemberger and Stefan were finally awarded the 14th ascent of the face. - 1959: Adolf Derungs and Lucas Albrecht, two Swiss masons, climb the face with very primitive equipment. Derungs wore four shirts one on top of another and Albrecht carried an old overcoat as far as the Spider. Both students, brave to the point of rashness and very tough, descend by night by the west flank. Three years later, in 1962, Derungs disappears while attempting a solo ascent of the north face.
1960s
- 1961: 6–12 March : First winter ascent of the face by Toni KinshoferToni KinshoferToni Kinshofer was a German mountain climber.In 1961, on an expedition led by Toni Hiebeler, he undertook the first winter ascent of the Eiger North Face with Walter Almberger and Anderl Mannhardt. At 27, Kinshofer was the senior climber of the team...
, Anderl Mannhardt, Walter Almberger and Toni Hiebeler. - 1961: 30 August–2 September: First all-CzechoslovakCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
ascent of the face by Radovan Kuchař and Zdeno Zibrín (19th overall). - 1961: 31 August–2 September: First all-PolishPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
ascent of the face by Stanisław Biel and Jan Mostowski (20th overall). - 1961: Don WhillansDon WhillansDon Whillans was an English rock climber and mountaineer. Born and raised in a two-up two-down house in Salford, Lancashire, he climbed with both Joe Brown and Chris Bonington on many new routes, and was considered the technical equal of both. He was an apprentice plumber when he first started his...
climbing with Chris Bonington aborted his only attempt at the North face (arriving ahead of a large rescue team) to rescue Brian Nally, a British climber whose companion, Barry Brewster, had fallen and was badly injured on the Second Icefield. Brewster's body eventually 'fell from the face' and Nally was brought down to safety. - 1962: First all-Italian ascent of the face by Armando AsteArmando AsteArmando Aste is one of the most influential Italian alpinists of the postwar period.Aste was born in Rovereto near Trento, Trentino. He led the first Italian ascent of the Eiger north face in 1962, together with Pierlorenzo Acquistapace, Gildo Airoldi, Andrea Mellano, Romano Perego and Franco Solina...
, Pierlorenzo Acquistapace, Gildo Airoldi, Andrea Mellano, Romano Perego, and Franco Solina. - 1962: First American ascent of the face, by John Harlin (with German Konrad Kirch).
- 1962: First British ascent of the face, by Chris BoningtonChris BoningtonSir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL is a British mountaineer.His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest and the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna.-Early life and expeditions:Educated at University College School in...
and Ian CloughIan Clough (mountaineer)Ian Clough was a British mountaineer who was killed on an expedition to climb the south face of the Himalayan massif Annapurna.-Climbing career:...
. - 1962: Two young climbers finished the climb just after Clough and Bonington (who overtook them) their names were withheld to stop floodgates opening regarding ascents of the Eiger's north face. They were very young, their equipment was rudimentary, and the letter they left their parents galvanized police action; the police were waiting for them on their return.
- 1963: 2–3 August: First solo ascent of the face by Michel Darbellay, in around 18 hours of climbing.
- 1963: 15 August: Two SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
climbers, Ernesto Navarro and Alberto Rabadá, die in a storm. - 1963: 27–31 December: Three Swiss guides complete the first descent of the face, retrieving the bodies of Navarro and Rabadá from the "White Spider."
- 1964: 1–3 September: German Daisy Voog becomes the first woman to reach the summit via the face (with Werner Bittner).
- 1966: March 22: After a fixed rope breaks, American John HarlinJohn Harlin (mountaineer)John Elvis Harlin II was an American mountaineer and US Air Force pilot who was killed while making an ascent of the north face of the Eiger...
falls to his death while attempting a new route: the direttissima, or "most direct" route. His colleague, Scotsman Dougal HastonDougal HastonDougal Haston, , was a Scottish mountaineer born in Currie, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.-Climbing achievements:...
, joins the competing team of Siegi (Siegfried) Hupfauer, Jörg Lehne, Günter Strobel and Roland Votteler, and they go on to complete the first direttissima (they reach the summit on 25 March, after one month's siege). The new route is named the "John Harlin Route" in Harlin's honour. - 1968: 28–31 July: First ascent of the north ridge, by a Polish team: Krzysztof Cielecki, Tadeusz Łaukajtys, Ryszard Szafirski, Adam Zyzak.
1970s
- 1970: Leo Dickinson, Eric JonesEric Jones (climber)right|thumb|250px|Eric Jones' cafe at Tremadog , viewed from Craig Bwlch y moch.Eric Jones is a Welsh solo climber, skydiver and BASE jumper....
, Pete Minks and Cliff Phillips (GB) make the first complete film of the climb. - 1971: First all-BelgianBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
ascent of the face by Renaat Van Malderen and Vincent de Waele. - 1971: Peter Siegert and Martin Biock are winched from above Death Bivouac to a helicopter, the first such successful rescue.
- 1974: Reinhold MessnerReinhold MessnerReinhold Messner is an Italian mountaineer and explorer from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol "whose astonishing feats on Everest and on peaks throughout the world have earned him the status of the greatest climber in history." He is renowned for making the first solo ascent of Mount Everest without...
and Peter HabelerPeter HabelerPeter Habeler is an Austrian mountaineer. He was born in Mayrhofen, Austria.Among his accomplishments as a mountaineer are his first ascents in the Rocky Mountains. He was also the first European to climb on the Big Walls in Yosemite National Park.He began climbing with Reinhold Messner in 1969. ...
climb the face in 10 hours. - 1977: First alpine-style ascent of the Eiger Direct (Harlin Route) by Alex MacIntyre (UK) and Tobin SorensonTobin SorensonTobin Sorenson was an American rock climber famed for establishing bold first ascents on Yosemite big walls, in the Alps, Canadian Rockies, and New Zealand.. A California native, Sorenson honed his climbing skills in Tahquitz, Joshua Tree National Park, and Yosemite Valley.Sorenson is considered...
(USA). - 1977: First DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
ascent of the face by Ronald Naar and Bas Gresnigt.
1980s
- 1981: First British solo ascent of the face by Eric Jones, filmed by Leo Dickinson and released as Eiger Solo.
- 1981: 25 August: Swiss guide Ueli Bühler soloes the face in 8 hours and 30 minutes.
- 1982: SloveneSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
Franček (Franc) Knez soloes the face in 6 hours. - 1982 First American winter ascent by Harry Kent and Keith Lober.
- 1983: 21 March–2 April (13 days in the wall): First winter solo ascent and new route on the face (the ideal direttissima) by Slovak Pavel Pochylý :sk:Pavel Pochylý.
- 1983: 27 July: Austrian Thomas Bubendorfer soloes the face without a rope in 4 hours and 50 minutes, almost halving Bühler's time.
- 1984: 21 July: Slovene Slavko (Miroslav) Svetičič. Classic route, solo climb in 8 hours.
- 1987: Second British solo ascent of the face by Phil Thornhill.
1990s
- 1990: 14–15 January: Slavko Svetičič solo climbs the Harlin route in 26 hours, its first winter ascent.
- 1991: Jeff LoweJeff Lowe (climber)Jeff Lowe is an American alpinist from Ogden, Utah. He is known for his visionary climbs and first ascents established in the US and Canadian Rockies, Alps and Himalayas. He is a proponent of the "Alpine style" philosophy of climbing, where small teams travel fast with minimal gear...
solos Metanoia on the north face in winter without bolts. - 1992: 10 March: Catherine DestivelleCatherine DestivelleCatherine Monique Suzanne Destivelle is an Algeria-born French rock climber and mountaineer. In 1992 she became the first woman to complete a solo ascent of the Eiger's north face. She completed the climb in winter in 15 hours...
(France) soloes the face in 17 hours. It is the first solo female ascent of such a serious and dangerous Alpine face. - 1997: Benedetto Salaroli, aged 72, becomes the oldest man to ascend the face, climbing it in a single day with guides Ueli Buhler and Kobi Reichen.
2000s
- 2003: 24 March: Christoph Hainz (Italy) breaks Bubendorfer's record by ten minutes, climbing the face in 4 hours and 40 minutes.
- 2007: 9 April: Christophe Profit, a French mountain guide, guides the face for the tenth time.
- 2007: 21 February: Ueli SteckUeli SteckUeli Steck is a Swiss climber. He is also a skilled carpenter and lives in Ringgenberg in Interlaken.- Career :...
(Switzerland) breaks Christoph Hainz's record, soloing the face in 3 hours and 54 minutes. - 2008: 28 January: Roger Schäli and Simon Anthamatten (both Switzerland) set a new record for a team ascent (of the Heckmair route) climbing it in 6 hours and 50 minutes.
- 2008: 13 February: Ueli Steck breaks his own record, soloing the face in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 33 seconds.
- 2008: 23 February: Daniel Arnold and Stephan Ruoss (both Switzerland) better the team record (Schäli and Anthamatten), climbing the Heckmair route in 6 hours, 10 minutes.
- 2008: 31 May: Ueli Steck is presented with the inaugural Eiger Award.
- 2008: 7 August: Dean PotterDean PotterDean Potter is an American free climber, alpinist, BASE jumper, BASEliner, and highliner. He is noted for hard first ascents, free solo ascents, speed ascents, and enchainments in Yosemite and Patagonia....
(USA) free-solos Deep Blue Sea (5.12+) on the face, then BASE jumpsBASE jumpingBASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects...
from the top using an ultralight rig he wore during the climb. - 2011: 20 April: Daniel Arnold (Switzerland) solos the face in 2 hours 28 minutes, using the fixed ropes on the Hinterstoisser Traverse. Arnold was 19 minutes faster than Ueli Steck in 2008, but Steck climbed the route entirely without aid and, unlike Arnold, completed the route in the official winter season.
Panorama
Popular culture
- The 1972 novel The Eiger SanctionThe Eiger SanctionThe Eiger Sanction is a 1972 thriller novel by Rodney William Whitaker, written under the pseudonym Trevanian. The story was made into a film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood in 1975.Whitaker wrote a sequel entitled The Loo Sanction....
is an action/thriller novel by Rodney William Whitaker (writing under the pseudonym TrevanianTrevanianRodney William Whitaker was an American film scholar and writer who wrote several successful novels under the pen name Trevanian. Whitaker also published works as Nicholas Seare, Beñat Le Cagot and Edoard Moran...
), based around the climbing of the Eiger. This was then made into a 1975 filmThe Eiger Sanction (film)The Eiger Sanction is a 1975 American action thriller based on the novel The Eiger Sanction by Trevanian, a pseudonym for the American author, Dr. Rodney William Whitaker. The film was directed by Clint Eastwood, who also starred as Dr. Jonathan Hemlock.-Plot:Dr...
starring Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
and George Kennedy. The Eiger Sanction film crew included very experienced mountaineers (e.g. John Cleare, Dougal HastonDougal HastonDougal Haston, , was a Scottish mountaineer born in Currie, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.-Climbing achievements:...
, and Hamish MacInnesHamish MacInnesDr Hamish MacInnes is a Scottish mountaineer, leading mountain search and rescuer, author and advisor. He is the leading Scottish winter mountaineer of the generation following W. H. Murray....
, see Summit, 52, Spring 2010) as consultants, to ensure accuracy in the climbing footage, equipment and techniques. - The 1982 book Eiger, Wall of Death by Arthur Roth is a historical account of first ascents of the north face.
- Eiger Dreams, a collection of essays by Jon KrakauerJon KrakauerJon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
, begins with an account of Krakauer's own attempt to climb the north face. - Eiger (as well as Jungfrau) are callsigns for European Federation tank units in the game Tom Clancy's EndwarTom Clancy's EndWarTom Clancy's EndWar is a real-time tactics game designed by Ubisoft Shanghai for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows platforms. The Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable versions feature turn-based tactics instead of the real-time tactics of their console counterparts...
. - The track Eiger Nordwand in the games Gran Turismo HD ConceptGran Turismo HD ConceptGran Turismo HD Concept was the first installment of the Gran Turismo racing series to be released on the PlayStation 3. It was made available as a free download which was released on the PlayStation Store on December 24, 2006...
, Gran Turismo 5 PrologueGran Turismo 5 PrologueGran Turismo 5 Prologue is a PlayStation 3 exclusive title which was announced at the E3 2007. This short version title was a precursor and sampling of Gran Turismo 5 and replaced Gran Turismo HD Concept...
and Gran Turismo 5Gran Turismo 5is the fifth edition of the Gran Turismo racing video game series. Developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was released for PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010...
is set in Kleine ScheideggKleine ScheideggThe Kleine Scheidegg is a high mountain pass below and between the Eiger and Lauberhorn peaks in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. It connects Grindelwald with Lauterbrunnen. The name means "minor watershed", even though it is actually higher than the neighbouring Grosse Scheidegg...
, which is actually a car-free zone. Although motor racing was illegal in Switzerland for over 50 years, the ban was lifted in 2007. - The Eiger was the name of the first song on 2005 album The WeddingThe Wedding (Oneida album)-Track listing:#"The Eiger" #"Lavender" #"Spirits" #"Run Through My Hair" #"High Life" #"Did I Die" #"You're Drifting" #"Charlemagne" #"Know" #"Heavenly Choir" #"Leaves"...
by the rock band OneidaOneida (band)Oneida is a rock band from Brooklyn, New York. Their influences include psychedelic rock, krautrock, electronic, noise rock, and minimalism, but the overall structure and intent of their music cannot be easily traced to any of these styles...
. - The IMAX film The AlpsThe AlpsThe Alps is a 2007 American documentary film about the climbing of the north face of the Eiger in the Bernese Alps by John Harlin III, son of John Harlin who died on the same ascent 40 years earlier...
features John Harlin III's climb up the north face in September 2005. Harlin's father, John Harlin IIJohn Harlin (mountaineer)John Elvis Harlin II was an American mountaineer and US Air Force pilot who was killed while making an ascent of the north face of the Eiger...
, set out 40 years earlier to attempt a direct route (the direttissima) up the 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) face, the so-called "John Harlin route". At 1300 m, his rope broke, and he fell to his death. James SwearingenJames SwearingenJames Swearingen is an American composer and arranger. He holds a Masters Degree from Ohio State University and a Bachelors Degree from Bowling Green State University and is currently Professor of Music, Department Chair of Music Education at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio.The music he writes...
created a piece named Eiger: Journey to the Summit in memory of him. - The 2007 docu/drama film The Beckoning Silence features mountaineer Joe SimpsonJoe Simpson (mountaineer)Joe Simpson is an English mountaineer, author and motivational speaker. He is best known for his book Touching the Void and the 2003 film adaptation of his book.-Early life:...
, of Touching the VoidTouching the VoidTouching the Void is a 1988 book by Joe Simpson, recounting his and Simon Yates's disastrous and nearly fatal climb of the 6,344-metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985....
fame, recounting—with filmed reconstructions—the ill-fated 1936 expedition up the north face of the Eiger and how it inspired him to take up climbing. The film followed Simpson's 2003 book of the same name. Those playing the parts of the original climbing team were Swiss mountain guides Roger Schäli (Toni Kurz), Simon Anthamatten (Andreas Hinterstoisser), Dres Abegglen (Willy Angerer) and Cyrille Berthod (Edi Rainer). - NordwandNorth Face (film)North Face is a 2008 German historical fiction film based on a famous 1936 attempt to climb the Eiger north face.-Plot:...
, a 2008 German/Swiss/Austrian feature film directed by Philipp Stölzl, recreates the fatal 1936 attempt by Hinterstoisser's party.
External links
- The Eiger on Summitpost
- The Eiger on Peakware - photos
- The Eiger on Flickr
- Live webcam view of the Eiger north face
- New and Old Explorations of the Eiger, Photos & Video
- Ueli Steck wins inaugural Eiger Award 2008
- Are you still here? A bagman's view of climbing the Eigerwand, by Charles Sherwood.
- Obituary of Anderl Heckmair, The Independent, Feb. 3, 2005