Ueli Steck Wraps Up 82 Summits Project in Just 61 Days

The Swiss Machine – Ueli Steck – has wrapped up his ambitious summer project to climb 82 peaks in the Alps in 80 days. And true to form, he did it quicker than expected, knocking off all of the mountains on his list in just 61 days.

Ueli launched his bid back on June 10 with German mountaineer Michi Wohlleben. The plan was to climb all 82 4000 meter (13,123 ft) peaks in the Alps in 80 days, and to travel between them using only human power. The two men would walk, ski, paraglide, and mountain bike from one mountain to the next before climbing up to the summit. Wohlleben only made it up four of those mountains however, suffering an injury on the descent a few days in. Steck continued on without him, but was joined by several other partners along the way.

One of those partners was Dutch climber Martijn Seuren, who was also attempting to summit all 82 peaks. He slipped an fell to his death back on July 22, bringing an unexpected dose of tragedy to the project.

Known for going fast and light in the mountains, Ueli pressed on once again. And on Tuesday of this week he knocked off the final mountain on his list. That brought his total number of days in the Alps this summer to 61, which is actually one day shy of the record for climbing the 82 peaks. That record was set by Italian climbers Franco Nicolini and Diego Giovannini back in 2008.

What's next for Steck? Only time will tell. After his very difficult and lift threatening solo-summit of Annapurna a few years back, he has expressed little interest in returning to the Himalaya. But, he seems to be having fun climbing in the Alps, and enjoying the challenges he is finding there. Perhaps we'll see similar projects out of him in the future. It certainly is fun to follow his adventures.

Ueli Steck Attempting 82 Peaks in 80 Days

It has been awhile since we've heard anything out of Ueli Steck, the Swiss climber who never ceases to amaze with it daring mountain expeditions. But if you know anything about Ueli, its that he's always planning something, and often it is a project that is unexpected. Take for example his latest pursuit, during which he is attempting to summit 82 European peaks in just 80 days.

Ueli calls this undertaking his #82summits project. Together with German climber Michi Wohlleben, Ueli is spending his summer attempting to reach the top of all of the 4000 meter (13,123 ft) mountains in the Alps, which number exactly 82. But simply climbing those mountains isn't enough for the "Swiss Machine." He is also traveling between them by mountain bike, paraglider, and skis.

Steck and Wohlleben are currently a little more than half-way done with their summer-spanning expedition, having knocked off about 50 of the peaks so far. If they are successful in their bid, the duo will have biked more than 965 km (600 miles), and climbed more than 91,400 meters (300,000 ft) in just 80 days. As National Geographic Adventure points out, thats the equivalent of summiting Everest 26 times in less than three months.

Of course, Ueli knows the Alps very well, having grown up there, and climbing in them since he was a boy. It is also where he made his reputation for going fast and light on his climbs, perfecting his style on some of the most famous mountains in the world.

The #82summits project may be one of the last of Steck's storied career. In the Nat Geo article he talks about moving on to other things. He says that he'll always climb, but that he doesn't have the desire to try things like his solo-summit of Annapurna from a few years back. Steck says that he thought he might die on that climb, which is not something he is willing to risk again.

You can follow Ueli and Michi on their adventure on Ueli's website and on Facebook. The two-men aren't done yet, and there are still plenty of mountains to go before the end of the summer. It should be interesting to see if they can complete this epic project on schedule.

Video: A Beautiful Timelapse From the Alps

Tomorrow is a rest day in the Tour de France, and after that the big mountains of the Alps will test the riders at long last. To get an idea of what the peloton will face, check out this beautiful video, which features timelapse imagery from Europe's most spectacular mountain chain. Some of these peaks will make a dramatic backdrop for the final few days of the race, which promise to be exciting ones.

Look it was good!! _ Alps from Jojune on Vimeo.

Red Bull X-Alps is Underway

One of the coolest races in the world is underway in Europe, where the 2015 Red Bull X-Alps is unfolding at a brisk pace. The event, which is now in its seventh year, pits athletes from around the world against one another in a unique format that is unlike any other competition that I am aware of.

The race begins in Salzburg, Austria and requires racers to cross the Alps on their way to the finish line in Monaco. To do that, they'll trail run and climb to the top of mountains, then deploy their paragliders to cover as much distance as possible before repeating the process again. The route includes ten individual checkpoints that the racers must pass through along the way, but other than that, they are free to choose which ever path they want.

This year there are 32 athletes from 18 countries taking part in the X-Alps. Amongst them is Shrivel Maurer, the three-time defending champ of the race. Maurer is off to a good start once again this year, as he has already won the Salewa Brenta Trophy that is awarded to the first racer to reach the midway point of the race at the fifth checkpoint. He now has 626 km (389 miles) to go to reach Monaco.

For the first time ever, there were two women taking part in the X-Alps, although Yvonne Dathe of Germany was eliminated yesterday after failing to make a time cut-off. That leaves American Dawn Westrum to carry the torch for female competitors moving forward, and I'm sure she'd love to reach the finish line to become the first woman to do just that.

It will still be a few days before the first racers reach the floating finish line on the Mediterranean Sea. You can follow all of the action as it unfolds at the X-Alps official website, which includes live tracking of the current positions of each of the athletes. The video below also serves as a good introduction to the race.

Video: Paddling the Jura Mountains on a Rainy Day

Located in the Western Alps, the Jura Mountains are known for being remote and rugged. The region falls into the watershed of both the Rhine and Rhône Rivers, making it an excellent place to go kayaking, particularly on a rainy day. That's exactly what the team of paddlers in this video found when the set out to explore some of the waterways there. The discovered some epic drops – including some beautiful waterfalls – and great whitewater to test their skills. The four-minute video is filled with some excellent action, set in a beautiful location. What more could you ask for?

Just another rainy day in the Jura mountains from No Travel Without Kayak on Vimeo.

Video: Extreme Athletes Ski and Climb Seven 4000 Meter Peaks in 24 Hours

Speed skiing is a sport that is gaining in popularity, particularly in the Alps in Europe. Recently a pair of extreme athletes – Beni Hug and Tony Sbalbi – decided to test their skills by speed climbing and skiing seven 4000 meter peaks in a single day, setting a new record in the process. Over the course of the day, they climbed an amazing 7000 meters (22,965 ft), as they chained together a route that passed over ten total mountains, including the famous Moench and Jungrau peaks in Switzerland. The video below gives us a brief look at what turned out to be a very long day. As you'll see, it was exhausting work.

Video: Flying the Aura 2 Wingsuit

After not having a good wingsuit video for quite some time, we now have two in one day. This seven-minute clip is a promo for the Aura 2 suit from Squirrel, which just went into production a few days ago. While it is used to sell the product – which most of us will probably never buy – it does feature some beautiful shots of pilots putting the new suit to the test in some beautiful locations. If you like BASE jumping and wingsuit videos, this will be pure bliss for you. Truly some fantastic footage on display here.

Squirrel >> AURA 2 from squirrel on Vimeo.

Video: Wingsuit High Five

We've seen some footage from this clip before, but now we get the full picture. It features a wingsuit pilot zipping down the French Alps in an attempt to give a foam hand a "high five" as he flies by. The video conveys an amazing sense of speed as he flies through the mountains with reckless abandon. This is one of the more impressive wingsuit videos I've seen in awhile, and will definitely provide a jolt of adrenaline for you today.

Video: Valentine Wingsuiting in the Alps of France

To celebrate Valentine's Day a bit early, professional wingsuit pilots Sam Hardy and Nate Jones scaled a 2525 meter (8284 ft) peak at the Brevent in Chamonix, France. They then proceeded to leap off the cliff, and sailed back down the mountain in grand style. This video is the record of that flight, which includes some fantastic views of the surrounding countryside covered in winter snow. It is a beautiful part of the world, and it is understandable why Chamonix is so popular with BASE jumpers and wingsuiters.

Video: Timelapse Over the Aletsch Glacier

The Aletsch Glacier is the largest in the Alps, and it makes for an amazing backdrop to this beautiful timelapse video. The scenes shown in this short clip were taken over several years and are a compilation of the best shots from photographer Markus Eihenberger. I think you'll find them breathtakingly beautiful.

ALETSCH ARENA DAY & NIGHT from Markus Eichenberger Photography on Vimeo.