On January 19, Swiss speed alpinist Ueli Steck raced up the Ginat route (ED: V M4+ 85 degrees, 1000m) on the north face of Les Droites (4001m) in the French Alps above Chamonix. His time on the classic line–2 hours and 8 minutes–is the fastest on record.
Trailing him by land and air was photographer and filmmaker Jonathan Griffith, who documented the speed ascent. Watch his film above, and read the details of Steck’s ascent in the February 2, 2010 NewsWire.
Steck en route during his speed ascent of the Ginat route (ED: V M4+ 85 degrees, 1000m) above Chamonix on January 19. Though his time of 2 hours and 8 minutes is not a confirmed record, it is faster than Christophe Profit’s previous speed record on Ginat, 2:30. [Photo] Jonathan Griffith