I live in a 3 story apartment with an extremely tight and steep staircase, I will now refer to it as the Eiger. My dog will tell you some harrowing tales..
You have no respect. People died. Mother’s and fathers lost their children..families and friends lost their loved one! I pray you never know anything where you fear for your life….
A guy who says he lives near me has a hard time with the stairs- I keep seeing him in his sleeping bag at base camp. Flat climbing, just like mountaineering, takes a certain amount of stupidity...:)
Dam i love these mountain climbers docs, I can’t climb, don’t want to climb but I’m absolutely fascinated with the courage and determination these brilliant climbers have. Much respect, well done, oh and please keep these amazing docs coming! Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺
Years ago, I read the book 'Touching the Void', an EXTREMELY harrowing, near fatal story. A video recounting & re-enactment on the mountain is narrated by both of the climbers exists.... ruclips.net/video/Ddeq-vRCZ8k/видео.html
Agreed. I'm not a ghoul interested in climbers plummeting to their deaths. Nope, rather I want to know WHY they do what they do and how they overcome the odds and incredible suffering to succeed or alternately, fail.
I was taking a botany class at the University of Rhode Island in the 1970s when somebody told me my professor’s husband had been a climber. So I read the book Straight Up that same summer. It was a very different experience learning about this mountain when Marilyn Harlin, John’s widow, was at the blackboard, and I’d just seen her photo at John’s funeral in the alps. I certainly learned how much a biography exposes the family left behind. She was raising their children without him. I’m not passing judgement here. I’m watching this excellent video to gain a larger perspective. But I will say that a climbers responsibility is not only to his climbing partners.
Great point. I think about this as well. Read a few books about Willie Unsoeld, "Fatal Mountaineer" being the one I have in hand. It's a real study in value's, prioritization and achievement and family. No easy quick summation, good books keep me chewing on them years later.
@Maureen McConnell Completely agree. I believe your statement about responsibility applies to just about anyone who undertakes the higher risk sports/hobbies.
She probably married him knowing exactly what kind of man he was. People used to understand high risk and high reward. Bravery was beautiful. Today weak people stand on the shoulders of giants and criticize them.
" But I will say that a climbers responsibility is not only to his climbing partners." -- I agree. I have enormous respect for the courage it takes to tackle these mountains but when someone's future, especially your children, count on you being there to guide them and teach them, then perhaps your vision needs to expand beyond the mountain you're attempting to defeat.
I was in Kleine Scheidegg in 1981.. I was told to look through the telescope. On the Eiger Nordwand, there were 2 climbers hanging from their ropes, dead for several days. What a shock.
I'm 50 this year. I was only 14 when I first gazed upon the Eiger and it has been burned into my memory ever since. There really is something special about this mountain.
I was familar with the earlier failed attempts on the north face, but this video is the first time I've heard the full story of the successful 1938 climb. And frankly, I am just absolutely STUNNED that Harrer climbed after forgetting his crampons. It's one thing to do ice climbing without spikes as a deliberate choice- another entirely to discover at the base of the mountain that you've forgetting critical equipment, and decide to go anyways
I cringe at the gear that the early mountaineers had compared to those who climb now. Wow. Those guys were beyond crazy to do what they did with their gear. That, in itself, is an achievement.
I have been mountaineering for about 45 years. I climb in Uludag and Aladaglar mountains just as a hobby. But this documentary is great and I am very excited, congratulations
Having traveled there in 2018 (during the summer ) was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to visit one of the most stunning and beautiful places on earth. Was almost unbelievable to see the beauty of the place!
It seems like the prettiest mountain to me! I have seen many of these documentaries but none of the mountains ever look distinct or special to me. This one does! Not the biggest or anything but sure the prettiest 😄
Liked and subscribed. I am writing this in a hostel that overlooks the Eiger. After watching a different documentary many years ago, I have always dreamed about coming here to Grindelwald and seeing it in person. It is even more beautiful in person. And.... there is another mountain right next to it that is just as beautiful. Just incredible. What a beautiful world we live in.
I never climbed a mountain and never will. But I love watching documentaries like this, and as a kid (born in 1952) I used to read about these epic climbs. What I never understood though, in the case of the Eiger, is why, where , how, was there a railway track way up there???
See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungfrau_Railway I have visited many times and hope to return again. 50 years ago it was an experience, now it's another tourist attraction and can be very crowded..
I visited the Eiger in 1996. I had never heard of it before the day I arrived there, but have sure learned to respect the pioneering climbers who challenged it in the 1930s. My travelling buddy, a Czech fellow, tried to impress on me the epic battles they waged, but only these videos really capture it all for me. I found it somewhat surreal that people could watch climbers risking their lives from the comfort of a hotel. To each his/her own, I guess.
This was a great watch. A fabulous documentary. Thank you for posting. Those pioneering climbers in the 30s and even in the 60s had such an adventurous spirit.
I visited Kleine Scheidegg about 20 years ago. It is one of these magical places, you won't forget. Films can't quite capture the grandeur and sheer size of the Nordwand. When we were there, there were climbers doing an ascent. Their tiny, moving specks translated the Nordwand to human scale for us. Humans = tiny ants, Eiger = mother nature.
I lived a couple months every year in Wegen and have been on railroad inside Eiger. Hiked all local peaks and slipped once and started falling straight down a 7000 foot stretch (verticle). There were fallen trees because of previous avalanches. I managed to catch tree, but most of my clothes ripped off. Still had backpack and walking poles were on wrists. I was so scared and it was difficult to get off this vertical terrain. I had extra clothes. I was very careful and did not get on deer trail. Also let my landlord know which peak I would be climbing and when I would return.
Sedlmayr and Mehringer were not found at the Death Bivouac. The body of Max Sedlmayr was found at the foot of the face the following year [1936] by his brother Heinrich and Martin Meier; they were among a team from Munich who were looking for the bodies of the victims of the Toni Kurz tragedy. The remains of Karl Mehringer were found in 1962 by Swiss climbers below the Flatiron at the lefthand end of the Second Icefield.
I was wondering about the climbers who died on the face. I hope all were recovered, but it’s tragic having to prepare a trip to find someone you love. This video was my introduction to climbing the Eiger north face. It’s terribly sad.
I’ve been to the foot of the Eiger a number of times. It is an eerie place when the fog rolls in. The most climbing I’ve done is to walk from Wengen and then on another day from Grindlewald , up to Kleine Scheidigg. I have also hiked above Murren a number of times. I love that entire area. Also, as a young Canadian growing up in a Cdn city I read most of the books mentioned in this video. Thank you for posting the video!
If I'm not mistaken, the Clint Eastwood movie "The Eiger Sanction" recreated the Kurtz accident. Though of course Clint is saved when he cuts the rope. I think the movie shows that window out on to the face too. Crazy !
I’m a first gen Brit emigrant,raised in Canada. Conceived in England, but born in 1958 in Canada, after my parents immigrated on the Empress of France. Chris Bonington is THE pre-eminent mountaineer of my generation. Growing up in the 60’s and reading the great adventure books of the day about the initial summiting of Everest, other mountaineering accounts, and books like The Gypsy Moth Circles the World etc, Bonington became my adventure hero. To me he is the embodiment of the British explorer! I have some climbing experience. I lived on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, in Alberta through the 80’s, and live in the interior of British Columbia now, but I’m a “hiker” at this point! Peace
One of the best films about the North Face of the Eiger is "The Beckoning Silence" by Louise Osmond/Joe Simpson. Another great film is "Eiger" (Stéphane Deplus), about the first ascent by a woman, Catherine Destivelle on March 9, 1992.
@@handduggraverdronline And so did you when you were a teenager. You know, hormones... I'm really tired of this 'back in the day we ate nails for breakfast and walked 20 miles to school uphill' BS.
It's the promise made. For every story like that there are stories of climbers saved that you don't hear about. Someone is fuked... You do what you can to unfuk them.
Actually this is one of the reasons why these days in high altitude climbing you often hear about people being "abandoned", or left to die. Through generations of climbers many have come to a conclusion that rescue at such high altitudes may be futile, and endangering more people than it's worth. Obviously, it's not always the case. And it sounds callous. But that's the reality, and most accept it when they decide to climb. You most often see this in absolute top altitude climbs of over 8000 meters, where a lot of the time somebody who is still alive will be seemingly abandoned by their group. But if you are incapacitated at that altitude and can't walk - rescue is almost certain impossibility. Will depend on a mountain, of course. And I've seen people say "well, why don't just fly a helicopter and rescue", to which there's a simple answer - even highest performing helicopters won't be able to hover at anything above 3000, maybe 3500 meters at best of conditions.
@@Quicksilver_Cookie Like poor Toni Kurz. They tried so hard to save him. Tried to reach him from tunnel window closest to him. There was absolutely nothing they could do for him. So gut wrenching.
The whole of the Alps are beautiful but there is something that has always seemed ominous about The Eiger. It is a beautiful piece of rock but I do not feel the need to climb it.
Well, please reconsider as the mountain is thirsty for great adventure men, and you could appear at the top .. VICTORIOUS. Well, think about it as your fine efforts might change the equation and the mountain no doubt would appreciate your presence. Thanks
When I lived in Germany (with German girlfriend) I used to drive down to Switzerland many times for mountain biking in summer and skiing/boarding in winter. The primary destination was usually Interlaken which I first visited in 1988 and became my go-to place far many years after. But to get into the big mountains meant going to Grindelwald which is the base for many famous mountains with ski lifts, cable cars and bicycle paths. The classic view is Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, and many more to the east and west (Wetterhorn, Schilthorn, etc.). There is a tunnel railway called the Jungfraujoch which goes up to the "Top of Europe" which I've done a few times and the views up there (3,454 m/11,332 ft) are spectacular, although it can be quite crowded with other tourists. Part of the way up the tunnel train stops and you can go to a "window" which looks out of the Eiger north face and shows just how vertically steep and dangerous it is. I could and would not climb it myself, but it is one of the world's go-to places for mountain scenery. Oh yeah, bring your fat wallet, as it is expensive.
It's really not that expensive, I am in interlaken now and have heard many say switzerland is so expensive, are you guys from Thailand or something? Switzerland is cheaper than most major cities in the US.
Was there in Feb - 1997 (not a climber) awesome area go their if you can, as my Swiss friends stated you will always remember it, respect to the climbers.🇺🇸
2015 (23 July): A team of British Para-Climbers reached the summit via the West Flank Route. The team included John Churcher, the world's first blind climber to summit the Eiger, sight guided by the team leader Mark McGowan. Colin Gourlay enabled the ascent of other team members, including Al Taylor who has multiple sclerosis, and the young autistic climber Jamie Owen from North Wales. The ascent was filmed by the adventure filmmakers Euan Ryan & Willis Morris of Finalcrux Films.
I was lucky to climb the Eiger 20+ years ago, did not climb the north face but at the foot of the north all you can see is crosses and the sound of the mountain.
This has been posted before on various channels and I have seen it hundreds of times but this is the best quality one and has all the music unlike some of the others. Now we just need the documentary with Eric Jones soloing the Eiger back on RUclips!
Eric Jones' solo (film) made it real when he lost his confidence and froze at the bottom of the Exit Cracks, but he heroically recovered (alone) to finish the climb.
@@hill_skills that seems to be the trick, all these deaths from people getting trapped in the weather - young la just runs up it before the wind even changes direction, pick a nice day , get really fit, woosh,,,at the top by lunchtime he said.
I've climbed Snowden and even Mt Blanc as a teenager, 15 years old to be precise, but I wouldn't have tried anything else. For some reason, I started to suffer with bad vertigo in my late 20's, so these documentaries are my climbing experience now!!!
I'll never forget taking the train to the top of the Eiger. They stopped at several of the windows so you could look out at the face. I can't imagine having the cojones to climb it.
There is no train to the top of the Eiger. You still have to be a mountain climber to reach the top (luckily). The train goes to the glacier between Mönch and Jungfrau but runs through the (poor) Eiger...
I’ve been on that train through the Eiger, which stops at the station high on the north face, where you can get out and look at the route up that climbers would take. I’ll never forget the sight of all the ice and shuddering at the idea of climbing it. It’s a sight like no other - where else do you get to look through a window at the middle of a mountain and view it from a few feet away? When we got off the train at the top of Jungfraujoch there was as a steady stream of people heading up the Eiger by an easier route, which although snow covered and very cold in September, looked a reasonably easy climb, though a long one (considerably shorter if you took the train to Jungfrau, but I don’t suppose many did)! Brilliant video, like all of David Snow’s.
I didnt learn about steck till this year, he was going to be revolutionary and unfortunately he is no longer with us. But that's style ge climbed in, is the razors edge. Rest in peace to the men and women who push.
It looks like the lords mountain! Maybe there are precious aspects of nature we are not meant to challenge!! I will just respect & admire it from below...
First thing I noticed was what the Composer did at 0:33. The emphasis on the 'shut' part of the interview with the drums. It wasn't random. It was played on the '1' part of the 4/4. Well done Composer .... well done.
@@Glenn-em3hvhe already had speed record of 4 hrs (approx) on eiger and he broke his own record later which was this. He was really fast but unfortunately died in 2017 in nepal during everest climbing from a different route.
A couple of years ago in Switzerland I was fortunate to stay with the daughter of the 9th party ascender Erich Vanis. He was obsessive about mountaineering and tended to ignore his family (as you would expect.) Maybe I can be first to ascend on one leg while wearing a onesie? Hmmm. An excellent production everyone, and my thanks.
I absolutely loved the second ascent of the North Face of the Eiger. It gave Louis Lachenal and Lionel Terray the strength and confidence they needed to make Annapurna a success in 1950.
@@ThoR52 Not to mention that Chris Bonington and Ian Clough were the first Brits to ascend via the Nordwand in 1962, and then to lead an expedition that will first scale the south face of Annapurna in 1970. Although Chris was confined at one of the camps and Ian was caught in an avalanche created by a serac during the descent.
The climber who died hanging on his rope. I seem to recall that he was left there for a couple of years. And when they did finally recover his body, they found his watch still working. Kept going by the gentle swinging of his body in the wind.
Remember Ulie Steck considered the greatest mountaineer ever by many died on Everst on April 30, 2017. He was attempting a route near Everest involving the 4th highest mountain Lhotse.
I was hugely fascinated by clmbing because or Reinhold Messner. He climbed it all without oxygen (often solo), read all his books and stayed multiple times at his home town, but the call of the mountains left many behind …. I still find it fascinating but I suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome by now so summiitting Wildspitze in Austria was my largest achievement. I wanted to progress from there but realized, despite Alpine trips close to 4K in height in Switzerland and France, I found I would never realize my dreams
i launched a tandem paraglider from the eiger, flew down the mountain to a massive gorge in a town called lauterbrunnen (sorry if i spelled it wrong, i was a long way from home i'm australian), unhooked myself and parachuted into the valley. best jump of my life. even after i passed the lip of the gorge, as i was above it when i jumped, i still fell for another ten seconds doing slow 360s to look at the valley all around me. had to do a gainer off the glider too. epic jump ruclips.net/video/O4PnrFdMhEs/видео.html at 52 seconds
@@NASkeywest thank you. i'm toning it down for a bit. i broke both my arms and a leg last year and needed metal and bone grafts and all sorts of things. skydiving and surfing now is enough.....for now
I live not far below the Eiger and Jungrfrau, and i think its so interesting that this video was recommended to me today, after i was just up on the Eiger for the first time since beginning April. I had no idea of its reputation and all these events.
I remember there was either a movie or another documentary about this, I know there was some guys who were filming about climbing this, talking about the tunnel with the guard thing and all, was pretty badass, I love history, can learn so much from it, especially this kind of stuff
At 42:44, Chris Bonington is talking about the mysteriousness of the mountain, still, in 1962, and his eyes sparkle and suddenly, it's as if he never aged a day & is young again.
I don't like the cold. I don't like snow. But there's something about watching these videos from the warmth and comfort from my bedroom...I can understand why the challenge would draw people. Sometimes we like to be tested...the Eiger is a demanding, fearsome challenge. It calls to some...⛏
Probably the boldest solo mountain climb in history: Metanoia, on the North Face of the Eiger, by Jeff Lowe in winter 1991. It's Jello's birthday today, he would have been 71. RIP.
Do you know of Ueli Steck‘s speed climb record in 2015 (2:22‘!), classic route? Unbelievable. ruclips.net/video/NfpYNr7es0Y/видео.html R.I.P., „Suisse machine“
@@losmosquitos1108 yes, Ueli Steck was such an amazing climber. He thoroughly discussed with Jeff Lowe about Metanoia because he wanted to be the first one to repeat it. Alas he died in the Himalayas, so we'll never see him achieve the first repetition of Metanoia.
Nice. "Metanoia" was often translated to "repentence" or in a book titled "the mountain of silence" "to change one's mind", but I also like the idea of "meta" meaning beyond and noia of course means mind, so to go beyond the mind. Beyond the doubting thoughts. I'll have to read that book.
If you watched the ' Eiger Sanction ' with Clint Eastwood they reinacted the dangling rescue attempt ! It was spectacular , in the movie they rescued him . Great documentary gentleman . Well done .
Great upload. I think there was a film about Ed Whymper and the Matterhorn a while back, but haven't been able to find it. I do remember that it was a fascinating story, and pretty tragic.
I know nothing about mountaineering but I cannot understand how so many have died ,professional teams struggled and then Ueli "runs" up the vertical side, it totally leaves me astonished. Personally even if it had a chair lift to the top, there would be absolutely no way that I would casually stand on one of the ridges with vertical drops on both sides, no way.
Same here. To my mind this climb is a singular moment in all human achievement. He literally RAN up the north face of the Eiger. I did the math once: The Empire State building (US-NYC) holds, each year, a race up the stairs, the record for (one) such trip up being something like 11m. 1100' vertical feet. Do the same thing for ~ 6000 vertical feet (let's allow a bit for exhaustion from the stair climbers), and you have something like 11m X 6 vertical feet--minus exhaustion...=6000 vertical feet (the height of the Eiger from the base of the North Face to the top). So let's call it an hour--6000m--and not 6600m to have run up stairs to the top, doing it six times in succession. Ueli did it in something less that three times that same time. Using ice axes and crampons. Alone on the wall, un-roped and un-protected (and against a fall, which would almost certainly have resulted in his death).
usually bad weather is the killer. It's actually pretty easy to climb underneath warm sunny skies and no wind. but even then you risk avalanche, colours, etc.
The routes have all already been mapped, weather prediction is much better, he knew all the variables which would have been unknown to the older expeditions. He also climbed in a completely different style, with modern equipment and no rope. Which means he could be very fast, not dealing with clipping in and out or staking etc., but also that any mistake he made would be fatal. The original teams were exploring new terrain. No one could have done what Steck did back then.
Did I hear the young Bonnington say "we aren't risking our necks, this is a calculated studied route" and the old Bonnington say "the ropes we were using were miles too thin, it was only a matter of time before one of them snapped"? Yep, sounds like risking your neck.
@@thiefonthecross7552 It also works nicely for many mountains in the northern hemisphere with exposed north faces. brutal in the winter, never receiving sun.
45-years ago, when I was young and invulnerable, I dangled my legs over the 1,000-foot sheer drop from Plateau Point in the Grand Canyon. A vertical mile? Hmm, no more dead than a fall from 1,000 feet. But, I'm no longer invulnerable. And, absolutely nowhere near as fit.
I’ve stayed in Grindlewald in the summer a few years ago, and seeing the north face for the first time is truly awe-inspiring. The thought of climbing that vertical face seems absolute madness, but having watched a number of these mountaineering documentaries I can also see the fatal attraction of it.
"There's a wonderful photo of the four of them and you can just see that... that radiant glow of fulfillment and happiness [and frostbite] on their faces. It's a wonderful picture..." "Frostbite". He forgot that you can see frostbite on their faces! @33:06
I always read your descriptions. Full of great information and then watch the video. Really helps to know the information about what you are watching. What a mountain!
Lmao, the British guy in the beginning seems to be more horrified and mesmerized by the snow on the ground that he is over the mountain itself!!! Mountaineers certainly are a strange type of people, no doubt.
My Dad was the sort that before breakfast would think, “ I’ll just go and have a look at the route.” An hour later would be sitting on top of the thing pipe in hand. I “don’t know what all the fuss was about. “
Why didn't they mention that Mathias Rebitsch and Ludwig Vörg made the first successful retreat from the Third Icefield in 1937? The photo on 27:38 doesn't show Heckmair and Vörg. The person on the right is not Vörg, but Otto Eidenschink, and it was taken in Wilder Kaiser in Austria during the training for the Eiger Northface.
I remember seeing Chris Bonnington give a talk at a local school to promote his book. It must have been in late '70s, years later i had the great fortune to live in Switzerland and visit Grindelwald many, many times. That wall dominates every view. It's spectacular and menacing.
I just looked up the elevation of Eiger (approx. 13,000 ft/approx 3,962 m). It looks so much bigger than that. I guess the stark, sheer flatness of its North face makes it seem so much bigger. I don't understand how people can look at that face and say "yep, I can see a route to the top". Yikes.
Ueli Steck died on 30 April 2017 after falling during an acclimatizing climb for an attempt on the Hornbein route on the West Ridge of Everest without supplemental oxygen. RIP.
Who else is totally hooked on these mountaineering documentaries?
Me
Me
Me
Yup
Guilty
I live in a 3 story apartment with an extremely tight and steep staircase, I will now refer to it as the Eiger. My dog will tell you some harrowing tales..
Loollll
OMG! That staircase is an offense against taste and decency! The constructor had a clear lack of theology and geometry!
Loving this humor👌
You have no respect. People died. Mother’s and fathers lost their children..families and friends lost their loved one! I pray you never know anything where you fear for your life….
A guy who says he lives near me has a hard time with the stairs- I keep seeing him in his sleeping bag at base camp. Flat climbing, just like mountaineering, takes a certain amount of stupidity...:)
Dam i love these mountain climbers docs, I can’t climb, don’t want to climb but I’m absolutely fascinated with the courage and determination these brilliant climbers have. Much respect, well done, oh and please keep these amazing docs coming! Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺
Years ago, I read the book 'Touching the Void', an EXTREMELY harrowing, near fatal story. A video recounting & re-enactment on the mountain is narrated by both of the climbers exists....
ruclips.net/video/Ddeq-vRCZ8k/видео.html
So am I. The determination to pursue the impossible is so inspiring. The struggle to survive …
How is it in Australia right now? Im hearing very troubling reports @tamara caldaroni
Agreed. I'll climb indoors with a height limit of 15 feet while respecting these mountains from RUclips haha
Agreed. I'm not a ghoul interested in climbers plummeting to their deaths. Nope, rather I want to know WHY they do what they do and how they overcome the odds and incredible suffering to succeed or alternately, fail.
I was taking a botany class at the University of Rhode Island in the 1970s when somebody told me my professor’s husband had been a climber. So I read the book Straight Up that same summer. It was a very different experience learning about this mountain when Marilyn Harlin, John’s widow, was at the blackboard, and I’d just seen her photo at John’s funeral in the alps. I certainly learned how much a biography exposes the family left behind. She was raising their children without him. I’m not passing judgement here. I’m watching this excellent video to gain a larger perspective. But I will say that a climbers responsibility is not only to his climbing partners.
Great point. I think about this as well. Read a few books about Willie Unsoeld, "Fatal Mountaineer" being the one I have in hand. It's a real study in value's, prioritization and achievement and family. No easy quick summation, good books keep me chewing on them years later.
@Maureen McConnell Completely agree. I believe your statement about responsibility applies to just about anyone who undertakes the higher risk sports/hobbies.
She probably married him knowing exactly what kind of man he was. People used to understand high risk and high reward. Bravery was beautiful. Today weak people stand on the shoulders of giants and criticize them.
Go Rhody an URI alum here I knew Marilyn as well
" But I will say that a climbers responsibility is not only to his climbing partners." -- I agree. I have enormous respect for the courage it takes to tackle these mountains but when someone's future, especially your children, count on you being there to guide them and teach them, then perhaps your vision needs to expand beyond the mountain you're attempting to defeat.
I was in Kleine Scheidegg in 1981..
I was told to look through the telescope. On the Eiger Nordwand, there were 2 climbers hanging from their ropes, dead for several days. What a shock.
Actually, I was there in 1891, and 2 other guys were dangling then - perhaps they were your chaps great-grandfathers?
Ha ha... Slow clap@@plentyofnothing
I'm 50 this year. I was only 14 when I first gazed upon the Eiger and it has been burned into my memory ever since. There really is something special about this mountain.
it's a big rock, "special"??, nothing....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
What do you find special?
@@bentownsend4017the vertical mile of solid rock
@bentownsend4017 the perpetual darkness
@@daviddavidsonn3578 if you’d ever actually seen a mountain like this you’d get it. But you clearly have no idea.
I was familar with the earlier failed attempts on the north face, but this video is the first time I've heard the full story of the successful 1938 climb. And frankly, I am just absolutely STUNNED that Harrer climbed after forgetting his crampons. It's one thing to do ice climbing without spikes as a deliberate choice- another entirely to discover at the base of the mountain that you've forgetting critical equipment, and decide to go anyways
I agree, that is crazy.
That's not smart
Pardon?
And then becomes tutor to the Dalai Lama
Yeah. It's like ice skating without the ice
I cringe at the gear that the early mountaineers had compared to those who climb now. Wow. Those guys were beyond crazy to do what they did with their gear. That, in itself, is an achievement.
"beyond crazy? that remark clearly indicates you know nothing about why and how those adventurous men climbed. People like you will never understand.
@@drats1279ok rambo
Yeah will never understand stupidity lol
I can’t believe they didn’t wear more fur from head to toe. So crazy what they wore.
@@taitfreeman9421 no sure what relevance Rambo has here
Rest in paradise Ueli Steck aka The Swiss Machine. 10/4/1976 - 4/30/2017
I have been mountaineering for about 45 years. I climb in Uludag and Aladaglar mountains just as a hobby. But this documentary is great and I am very excited, congratulations
Having traveled there in 2018 (during the summer ) was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to visit one of the most stunning and beautiful places on earth. Was almost unbelievable to see the beauty of the place!
I want to go!
👍 an avid lover of nature you seem. If it's unbelievable for you, go visit karakurams and passu cones. You ll love it forever.
It seems like the prettiest mountain to me! I have seen many of these documentaries but none of the mountains ever look distinct or special to me. This one does! Not the biggest or anything but sure the prettiest 😄
Liked and subscribed. I am writing this in a hostel that overlooks the Eiger. After watching a different documentary many years ago, I have always dreamed about coming here to Grindelwald and seeing it in person. It is even more beautiful in person. And.... there is another mountain right next to it that is just as beautiful. Just incredible. What a beautiful world we live in.
You wonder why the other mountain isn't just as popular???
Greetings from Switzerland 🥰
I never climbed a mountain and never will. But I love watching documentaries like this, and as a kid (born in 1952) I used to read about these epic climbs.
What I never understood though, in the case of the Eiger, is why, where , how, was there a railway track way up there???
See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungfrau_Railway I have visited many times and hope to return again. 50 years ago it was an experience, now it's another tourist attraction and can be very crowded..
@@robertparsons558 Amazing! Thanks!
For the resort there facing Eiger.
Why?
it's in switzerland, lol. we have railways everywhere
I visited the Eiger in 1996. I had never heard of it before the day I arrived there, but have sure learned to respect the pioneering climbers who challenged it in the 1930s. My travelling buddy, a Czech fellow, tried to impress on me the epic battles they waged, but only these videos really capture it all for me. I found it somewhat surreal that people could watch climbers risking their lives from the comfort of a hotel. To each his/her own, I guess.
That interview with Brian was god awfully heartbreaking
What happened to Brian. He seemed to have disappeared
It was considered 'bad form' to die on the mountain. Totally British! Gotta love it.
This was a great watch. A fabulous documentary. Thank you for posting. Those pioneering climbers in the 30s and even in the 60s had such an adventurous spirit.
I used to do high mountain hiking when I was young. I never climbed but I have always been fascinated by the mountaineering heroes.
I visited Kleine Scheidegg about 20 years ago. It is one of these magical places, you won't forget. Films can't quite capture the grandeur and sheer size of the Nordwand. When we were there, there were climbers doing an ascent. Their tiny, moving specks translated the Nordwand to human scale for us. Humans = tiny ants, Eiger = mother nature.
Perfect
The Eiger has always fascinated me like the Grand Dame of sheer rocks. Meanwhile I get dizzy on the third step of my ladder.
I look at that mountain and think "That's just crazy, what a nightmare of a climb!"
@@victorianidetch Ueli Steck ( he was called the Swiss Machine ) climbed it in 2 hours and 22 min.
@@leylag1466 That is amazing, what a great talent!
@@leylag1466 What a strapping stud
@@madbrad7274 unfortunately he died on a rather easy part of the Mount Everest.🥲
I skydived in the area looking at the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfräu, such a great experience. Love Grindelwald. Great to live in Switzerland
Your a boss
I lived a couple months every year in Wegen and have been on railroad inside Eiger. Hiked all local peaks and slipped once and started falling straight down a 7000 foot stretch (verticle). There were fallen trees because of previous avalanches. I managed to catch tree, but most of my clothes ripped off. Still had backpack and walking poles were on wrists. I was so scared and it was difficult to get off this vertical terrain. I had extra clothes. I was very careful and did not get on deer trail. Also let my landlord know which peak I would be climbing and when I would return.
Sedlmayr and Mehringer were not found at the Death Bivouac. The body of Max Sedlmayr was found at the foot of the face the following year [1936] by his brother Heinrich and Martin Meier; they were among a team from Munich who were looking for the bodies of the victims of the Toni Kurz tragedy. The remains of Karl Mehringer were found in 1962 by Swiss climbers below the Flatiron at the lefthand end of the Second Icefield.
I was wondering about the climbers who died on the face. I hope all were recovered, but it’s tragic having to prepare a trip to find someone you love. This video was my introduction to climbing the Eiger north face. It’s terribly sad.
I’ve been to the foot of the Eiger a number of times. It is an eerie place when the fog rolls in. The most climbing I’ve done is to walk from Wengen and then on another day from Grindlewald , up to Kleine Scheidigg. I have also hiked above Murren a number of times. I love that entire area. Also, as a young Canadian growing up in a Cdn city I read most of the books mentioned in this video. Thank you for posting the video!
If I'm not mistaken, the Clint Eastwood movie "The Eiger Sanction" recreated the Kurtz accident. Though of course Clint is saved when he cuts the rope. I think the movie shows that window out on to the face too. Crazy !
Fantastic recording.
Chris Bonnington gave a lecture at our school circa 1971 and it was utterly mesmerising. I shall never forget it. Brilliant.
Ooo lucky you! How fabulous 👌
I’m a first gen Brit emigrant,raised in Canada. Conceived in England, but born in 1958 in Canada, after my parents immigrated on the Empress of France. Chris Bonington is THE pre-eminent mountaineer of my generation. Growing up in the 60’s and reading the great adventure books of the day about the initial summiting of Everest, other mountaineering accounts, and books like The Gypsy Moth Circles the World etc, Bonington became my adventure hero. To me he is the embodiment of the British explorer! I have some climbing experience. I lived on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, in Alberta through the 80’s, and live in the interior of British Columbia now, but I’m a “hiker” at this point!
Peace
RIP Euli Steck. Was great to see him again.
@@stujones3566 haven or hell who knows.
One of the best films about the North Face of the Eiger is "The Beckoning Silence" by Louise Osmond/Joe Simpson.
Another great film is "Eiger" (Stéphane Deplus), about the first ascent by a woman, Catherine Destivelle on March 9, 1992.
Thanks for the hints! Much appreciated. ♥️👍
I can't even climb out of bed in the morning.
💊💊💊💊💊
Most kids these days have the same problem
@@handduggraverdronline And so did you when you were a teenager. You know, hormones...
I'm really tired of this 'back in the day we ate nails for breakfast and walked 20 miles to school uphill' BS.
Lol
You are funny!
Ueli Steck did this climb in 2hr 23mins. WHAT A LEGEND!!
Died aged 40....
Ueli Steck's record climb is to me one of the greatest athletic achievements in human history.
Not really worth dying for.
@@TheMerryPrangster true but he didn't...here at least
@@captaincat1743 agreed
why is it that every story of a group of climbers trying to save one climber always ends in terrible tragedy with the whole group. so sad
It's the promise made. For every story like that there are stories of climbers saved that you don't hear about. Someone is fuked... You do what you can to unfuk them.
Actually this is one of the reasons why these days in high altitude climbing you often hear about people being "abandoned", or left to die. Through generations of climbers many have come to a conclusion that rescue at such high altitudes may be futile, and endangering more people than it's worth. Obviously, it's not always the case. And it sounds callous. But that's the reality, and most accept it when they decide to climb. You most often see this in absolute top altitude climbs of over 8000 meters, where a lot of the time somebody who is still alive will be seemingly abandoned by their group. But if you are incapacitated at that altitude and can't walk - rescue is almost certain impossibility. Will depend on a mountain, of course. And I've seen people say "well, why don't just fly a helicopter and rescue", to which there's a simple answer - even highest performing helicopters won't be able to hover at anything above 3000, maybe 3500 meters at best of conditions.
@@Quicksilver_Cookie Like poor Toni Kurz. They tried so hard to save him. Tried to reach him from tunnel window closest to him. There was absolutely nothing they could do for him. So gut wrenching.
The whole of the Alps are beautiful but there is something that has always seemed ominous about The Eiger. It is a beautiful piece of rock but I do not feel the need to climb it.
That's because your name isn't Kenton Cool and you don't have an earring like him.
Well, please reconsider as the mountain is thirsty for great adventure men, and you could appear at the top .. VICTORIOUS.
Well, think about it as your fine efforts might change the equation and the mountain no doubt would appreciate your presence.
Thanks
I think it is just the north wall. The mountain itself is a moderate climb if approached by some of the other routes.
Why do alot of Brits have dreadful teeth?
@@MrLjpadk11 😆
I always flashback to the Eastwood movie when I hear the word Eiger. Amazing world in which we live!
Alex Honnold says that the Eiger Sanction is the most realistic climbing movie of all
@@bookaufman9643 the training scenes are worth the popcorn. Talk about motivation!
When I lived in Germany (with German girlfriend) I used to drive down to Switzerland many times for mountain biking in summer and skiing/boarding in winter. The primary destination was usually Interlaken which I first visited in 1988 and became my go-to place far many years after. But to get into the big mountains meant going to Grindelwald which is the base for many famous mountains with ski lifts, cable cars and bicycle paths. The classic view is Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, and many more to the east and west (Wetterhorn, Schilthorn, etc.). There is a tunnel railway called the Jungfraujoch which goes up to the "Top of Europe" which I've done a few times and the views up there (3,454 m/11,332 ft) are spectacular, although it can be quite crowded with other tourists. Part of the way up the tunnel train stops and you can go to a "window" which looks out of the Eiger north face and shows just how vertically steep and dangerous it is. I could and would not climb it myself, but it is one of the world's go-to places for mountain scenery. Oh yeah, bring your fat wallet, as it is expensive.
It's really not that expensive, I am in interlaken now and have heard many say switzerland is so expensive, are you guys from Thailand or something? Switzerland is cheaper than most major cities in the US.
Yeah I heard it was massively overpriced.
I live here and find it expensive, Mt Pilatus has a gorgeous view, reached by cogwheel on 1 side, by cablecar on other side. It's in Lucern.
Thank you for these terrific uploads, David Snow !!!
You mean "terrifying" ????
Was there in Feb - 1997 (not a climber) awesome area go their if you can, as my Swiss friends stated you will always remember it, respect to the climbers.🇺🇸
2015 (23 July): A team of British Para-Climbers reached the summit via the West Flank Route. The team included John Churcher, the world's first blind climber to summit the Eiger, sight guided by the team leader Mark McGowan. Colin Gourlay enabled the ascent of other team members, including Al Taylor who has multiple sclerosis, and the young autistic climber Jamie Owen from North Wales. The ascent was filmed by the adventure filmmakers Euan Ryan & Willis Morris of Finalcrux Films.
That is truly inspirational. Thank you for sharing that information. :)
Now that's just unbelievable that someone who's blind would do that!!!
Very special person!
I was lucky to climb the Eiger 20+ years ago, did not climb the north face but at the foot of the north all you can see is crosses and the sound of the mountain.
What do you mean by the “sound of the mountain “.
@@jennifermcdonald5432 the sound of the wind whipping off the mountain
@@jaysoto1182 must sound very spooky, kind of hollow and spacey, empty. Thanks for answering!
@@jennifermcdonald5432 not many trees soaking up the sound
What STUNNING storytelling. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through, totally absorbed, utterly captivated ❤
This has been posted before on various channels and I have seen it hundreds of times but this is the best quality one and has all the music unlike some of the others. Now we just need the documentary with Eric Jones soloing the Eiger back on RUclips!
Eric Jones is a legend. Also served a mean bacon butty in his cafe at the bottom of Tremadoc. Top lad.
@@lindsayrogers6690 he is and he does indeed
Eric Jones' solo (film) made it real when he lost his confidence and froze at the bottom of the Exit Cracks, but he heroically recovered (alone) to finish the climb.
I've stood at the bottom of the Eiger 'wall of death' and looked up, it's awesomely scary .
I've been on it twice in the winter but never got very far. One day,..one day....
@@hill_skills that seems to be the trick, all these deaths from people getting trapped in the weather - young la just runs up it before the wind even changes direction, pick a nice day , get really fit, woosh,,,at the top by lunchtime he said.
6:05 When looking at the Eiger in profile, it reminds me of the Sphinx at the Great Pyramid of Egypt.
Does it really overhang or is that an illusion? It's hard to tell looking at pictures and documentaries.
@@stephenmcdonagh2795 yes it does overhang, looking at it from some angles it appears slightly concaved.
I've climbed Snowden and even Mt Blanc as a teenager, 15 years old to be precise, but I wouldn't have tried anything else. For some reason, I started to suffer with bad vertigo in my late 20's, so these documentaries are my climbing experience now!!!
You can walk to snowdon’s peak lmao
I'm from a warm US state. It's hard when then weather is under 50 degrees for me. These stories boggle my mind.
You look like a person with a very low iq
I'll never forget taking the train to the top of the Eiger. They stopped at several of the windows so you could look out at the face. I can't imagine having the cojones to climb it.
I did the same 20 years ago
A train to the top?
@@antidoteforlife9460 yes. It runs inside the eiger to an observation deck overlooking a glacier behind the jungfrau.
There is no train to the top of the Eiger. You still have to be a mountain climber to reach the top (luckily). The train goes to the glacier between Mönch and Jungfrau but runs through the (poor) Eiger...
@@One-Ring-To-Rule-Them-All pardon my mistake. It takes you really close to the top of the Eiger. And it does run through it.
I’ve been on that train through the Eiger, which stops at the station high on the north face, where you can get out and look at the route up that climbers would take. I’ll never forget the sight of all the ice and shuddering at the idea of climbing it. It’s a sight like no other - where else do you get to look through a window at the middle of a mountain and view it from a few feet away? When we got off the train at the top of Jungfraujoch there was as a steady stream of people heading up the Eiger by an easier route, which although snow covered and very cold in September, looked a reasonably easy climb, though a long one (considerably shorter if you took the train to Jungfrau, but I don’t suppose many did)! Brilliant video, like all of David Snow’s.
I can't believe they actually laid train tracks up it!!!! Those people were incredible and a different generation!!!
I didnt learn about steck till this year, he was going to be revolutionary and unfortunately he is no longer with us. But that's style ge climbed in, is the razors edge. Rest in peace to the men and women who push.
It looks like the lords mountain! Maybe there are precious aspects of nature we are not meant to challenge!! I will just respect & admire it from below...
This channel has become my favourite. Keep them coming!
First thing I noticed was what the Composer did at 0:33. The emphasis on the 'shut' part of the interview with the drums. It wasn't random. It was played on the '1' part of the 4/4. Well done Composer .... well done.
How the heck did Steck climb this in 2 hours 47 minutes? Thats insane
I heard of people climbing Everest in hours without oxygen???
I don't know if it's true but anyone that can climb like that is a super man!!!
@@Glenn-em3hvhe already had speed record of 4 hrs (approx) on eiger and he broke his own record later which was this. He was really fast but unfortunately died in 2017 in nepal during everest climbing from a different route.
First woman (1992) Catherine Destivelle. Soloed Heckmair route on sight in 17 hours. Almost entirely without protection.
A couple of years ago in Switzerland I was fortunate to stay with the daughter of the 9th party ascender Erich Vanis. He was obsessive about mountaineering and tended to ignore his family (as you would expect.) Maybe I can be first to ascend on one leg while wearing a onesie? Hmmm. An excellent production everyone, and my thanks.
Rip Ueli Steck 😢😢 he was an incredible climber, just looks one with the mountain.
Just passed by the north face on a gondola. That mountain face is scary AF
“A vertical mile of brittle blasted limestone, hanging ice, and howling winds.”
Me: 😳 nope, no thank you.
Honor y Gloria jp
Lol
The Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat is an even bigger nope to many for it is the biggest and highest mountain face in the world.
😂
Yup I'll just watch other people vicariously
i saw the thumbnail of this and couldnt think of anything but - The Eiger Sanction
I absolutely loved the second ascent of the North Face of the Eiger. It gave Louis Lachenal and Lionel Terray the strength and confidence they needed to make Annapurna a success in 1950.
It was quite an epic, which is ultimately the most interesting aspect for me.
@@ThoR52 Not to mention that Chris Bonington and Ian Clough were the first Brits to ascend via the Nordwand in 1962, and then to lead an expedition that will first scale the south face of Annapurna in 1970. Although Chris was confined at one of the camps and Ian was caught in an avalanche created by a serac during the descent.
The climber who died hanging on his rope. I seem to recall that he was left there for a couple of years. And when they did finally recover his body, they found his watch still working. Kept going by the gentle swinging of his body in the wind.
Swiss movement?
@@michaelkinville177 Ha!!
Tony Kurtz
Was he really there for years??? You would think that someone would cut the rope!!!!
not true, he was cut down after a few days
Brilliant documentary , iv heard and watched Chris Bonington since i was a kid , he is one of our true adventurers , very exciting stuff.
Remember Ulie Steck considered the greatest mountaineer ever by many died on Everst on April 30, 2017. He was attempting a route near Everest involving the 4th highest mountain Lhotse.
Died on Nuptse
Uli Steck was absolutely amazing! So fast. Taken too soon.
Well done, great historical story, with some of the main still living protagonists.
Camped under the face in 2018 and spent hours gazing at the spindrift cascading down the face. Magical place.
The 2008 movie about this called "North Face" was the best mountain climbing movie I ever seen.
I saw it at a film festival in 2008 and it’s a film that haunts me still. So good. I’ve watched it 5 times and each was like seeing a different movie.
Thanks for the recommendation. Didn't watch that one.
Touching the void is my favorite.
I was hugely fascinated by clmbing because or Reinhold Messner. He climbed it all without oxygen (often solo), read all his books and stayed multiple times at his home town, but the call of the mountains left many behind …. I still find it fascinating but I suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome by now so summiitting Wildspitze in Austria was my largest achievement. I wanted to progress from there but realized, despite Alpine trips close to 4K in height in Switzerland and France, I found I would never realize my dreams
i launched a tandem paraglider from the eiger, flew down the mountain to a massive gorge in a town called lauterbrunnen (sorry if i spelled it wrong, i was a long way from home i'm australian), unhooked myself and parachuted into the valley. best jump of my life. even after i passed the lip of the gorge, as i was above it when i jumped, i still fell for another ten seconds doing slow 360s to look at the valley all around me. had to do a gainer off the glider too. epic jump
ruclips.net/video/O4PnrFdMhEs/видео.html at 52 seconds
Be safe you crazy and beautiful person!
@@NASkeywest thank you. i'm toning it down for a bit. i broke both my arms and a leg last year and needed metal and bone grafts and all sorts of things. skydiving and surfing now is enough.....for now
Sounds like a pretty good day.
I've done that a few times too -- great fun!
I live not far below the Eiger and Jungrfrau, and i think its so interesting that this video was recommended to me today, after i was just up on the Eiger for the first time since beginning April. I had no idea of its reputation and all these events.
I remember there was either a movie or another documentary about this, I know there was some guys who were filming about climbing this, talking about the tunnel with the guard thing and all, was pretty badass, I love history, can learn so much from it, especially this kind of stuff
"The Eiger Sanction" ?
At 42:44, Chris Bonington is talking about the mysteriousness of the mountain, still, in 1962, and his eyes sparkle and suddenly, it's as if he never aged a day & is young again.
I don't like the cold. I don't like snow. But there's something about watching these videos from the warmth and comfort from my bedroom...I can understand why the challenge would draw people. Sometimes we like to be tested...the Eiger is a demanding, fearsome challenge. It calls to some...⛏
A foot massage and pedicure is more challenging 😁
Wall of Death is an amazing book. Whole history from heckmair to Harlin
Probably the boldest solo mountain climb in history: Metanoia, on the North Face of the Eiger, by Jeff Lowe in winter 1991. It's Jello's birthday today, he would have been 71. RIP.
Metanoia is such a breath taking project. Jeff Lowe was the purest mountaineer I can imagine. RIP...
Do you know of Ueli Steck‘s speed climb record in 2015 (2:22‘!), classic route? Unbelievable. ruclips.net/video/NfpYNr7es0Y/видео.html
R.I.P., „Suisse machine“
@@losmosquitos1108 yes, Ueli Steck was such an amazing climber. He thoroughly discussed with Jeff Lowe about Metanoia because he wanted to be the first one to repeat it. Alas he died in the Himalayas, so we'll never see him achieve the first repetition of Metanoia.
Nice. "Metanoia" was often translated to "repentence" or in a book titled "the mountain of silence" "to change one's mind", but I also like the idea of "meta" meaning beyond and noia of course means mind, so to go beyond the mind. Beyond the doubting thoughts. I'll have to read that book.
If you watched the ' Eiger Sanction ' with Clint Eastwood they reinacted the dangling rescue attempt ! It was spectacular , in the movie they rescued him . Great documentary gentleman . Well done .
Love these documentaries David. Thank you!
Glad you like them!
Great upload.
I think there was a film about Ed Whymper and the Matterhorn a while back, but haven't been able to find it. I do remember that it was a fascinating story, and pretty tragic.
Look on RUclips for: “death on the Matterhorn”
There is a hour and a half doc on that story. Some drama but also a lot of good info.
@@wm4462 thanks, found it. Not the one I remember seeing (think that was one in a series about mountaineers), but looks good.
I know nothing about mountaineering but I cannot understand how so many have died ,professional teams struggled and then Ueli "runs" up the vertical side, it totally leaves me astonished.
Personally even if it had a chair lift to the top, there would be absolutely no way that I would casually stand on one of the ridges with vertical drops on both sides, no way.
The north face is vertical, not the other side though.
Same here. To my mind this climb is a singular moment in all human achievement. He literally RAN up the north face of the Eiger.
I did the math once: The Empire State building (US-NYC) holds, each year, a race up the stairs, the record for (one) such trip up being something like 11m. 1100' vertical feet. Do the same thing for ~ 6000 vertical feet (let's allow a bit for exhaustion from the stair climbers), and you have something like 11m X 6 vertical feet--minus exhaustion...=6000 vertical feet (the height of the Eiger from the base of the North Face to the top). So let's call it an hour--6000m--and not 6600m to have run up stairs to the top, doing it six times in succession.
Ueli did it in something less that three times that same time. Using ice axes and crampons. Alone on the wall, un-roped and un-protected (and against a fall, which would almost certainly have resulted in his death).
usually bad weather is the killer. It's actually pretty easy to climb underneath warm sunny skies and no wind. but even then you risk avalanche, colours, etc.
The routes have all already been mapped, weather prediction is much better, he knew all the variables which would have been unknown to the older expeditions. He also climbed in a completely different style, with modern equipment and no rope. Which means he could be very fast, not dealing with clipping in and out or staking etc., but also that any mistake he made would be fatal. The original teams were exploring new terrain. No one could have done what Steck did back then.
I truly admire the people who have the courage and strength to know when to call it....live to fight another day
This is a haunting story. I’ll never forget it.
Been around during summer hiking below it. Beautiful place
Did I hear the young Bonnington say "we aren't risking our necks, this is a calculated studied route" and the old Bonnington say "the ropes we were using were miles too thin, it was only a matter of time before one of them snapped"? Yep, sounds like risking your neck.
I'm not even a climber, but I've watched this documentary 5 times. I love it.
Here I am thinking North Face is just a popular winter brand.
North Face refers to half dome in Yosemite.
@@thiefonthecross7552 It also works nicely for many mountains in the northern hemisphere with exposed north faces. brutal in the winter, never receiving sun.
@@kvltizt Yea for sure. Just talking about the brand specifically.
That was excellent. What a contrast to see the time it took in the early days and then the sub 3 hour record. Unbelievable
45-years ago, when I was young and invulnerable, I dangled my legs over the 1,000-foot sheer drop from Plateau Point in the Grand Canyon.
A vertical mile? Hmm, no more dead than a fall from 1,000 feet. But, I'm no longer invulnerable. And, absolutely nowhere near as fit.
And I’ll be paralyzed by terror just watching you.
I’ve stayed in Grindlewald in the summer a few years ago, and seeing the north face for the first time is truly awe-inspiring. The thought of climbing that vertical face seems absolute madness, but having watched a number of these mountaineering documentaries I can also see the fatal attraction of it.
"There's a wonderful photo of the four of them and you can just see that... that radiant glow of fulfillment and happiness [and frostbite] on their faces. It's a wonderful picture..."
"Frostbite". He forgot that you can see frostbite on their faces! @33:06
The Eiger Sanction was a good Clint Eastwood movie.
Thanks so much for uploading this. I've never seen this amazing documentary before.
Metanoia: most "directissima" route (more direct, more difficult) in 1991 by Jeff Lowe in two days, solo, without protection bolts.
Pffffft
climate change!
I always read your descriptions. Full of great information and then watch the video. Really helps to know the information about what you are watching. What a mountain!
Thank you for sharing this incredible documentary! :-)
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@DavidSnowClimbingin which country the eiger is?
@@memoonaahmad114 Confederation Helvetica
@@memoonaahmad114 It's in Switzerland, the old Roman name is Confederation Helvetica. 🥰
@@positronikiss Smart ass. Lol. Why all vehicles have CH on them. 🥰
Lmao, the British guy in the beginning seems to be more horrified and mesmerized by the snow on the ground that he is over the mountain itself!!! Mountaineers certainly are a strange type of people, no doubt.
That amount of new snow means there is an acute avalanche problem, when you work in the mountains that makes you a bit nervous for sure.
Guilty as charged
@@hill_skills lol!! I like your humor!!
I remember myself looking at Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau when I was a child and my grandparents took me to Switzerland for holidays.
Eiger, Mönch und Jungfrau - Orge, Monk and Virgin. Legend says the Monk was protecting the Virgin from the Orge. 🥰
Thank you very much mate for all these uploads👍👍👍
My Dad was a climbing pioneer in North Wales and was picked for the Everest trip in 1952.
Did he make it up and back home?
Andrew McNeil, what happened? Did your dad accept and did he make it there and back??
Well? finish this .......
Lucky for me a motorbike accident 12 month before ruled him out.
My Dad was the sort that before breakfast would think, “ I’ll just go and have a look at the route.” An hour later would be sitting on top of the thing pipe in hand. I “don’t know what all the fuss was about. “
Why didn't they mention that Mathias Rebitsch and Ludwig Vörg made the first successful retreat from the Third Icefield in 1937?
The photo on 27:38 doesn't show Heckmair and Vörg. The person on the right is not Vörg, but Otto Eidenschink, and it was taken in Wilder Kaiser in Austria during the training for the Eiger Northface.
I remember seeing Chris Bonnington give a talk at a local school to promote his book. It must have been in late '70s, years later i had the great fortune to live in Switzerland and visit Grindelwald many, many times. That wall dominates every view. It's spectacular and menacing.
Thank you for sharing this amazing documentary!!!
The story of four man, Tony, Andy, Eddie, and Willie will forever be legendary
I just looked up the elevation of Eiger (approx. 13,000 ft/approx 3,962 m). It looks so much bigger than that. I guess the stark, sheer flatness of its North face makes it seem so much bigger. I don't understand how people can look at that face and say "yep, I can see a route to the top". Yikes.
Ueli Steck died on 30 April 2017 after falling during an acclimatizing climb for an attempt on the Hornbein route on the West Ridge of Everest without supplemental oxygen. RIP.