The Swiss climber Ueli Steck has been killed on Mount Everest, Nepal’s tourist office says.
One of the most recognised faces in mountaineering Ueil Steck (40), also known as the ‘Swiss Machine’ died on Everest Sunday morning as he attempted to trace the Hornbein Route to the highest mountain in the world.
He was best known for his speed-climbing, including setting several records for ascending the north face of the Eiger, a classic mountaineering peak in the Bernese Alps that he climbed in two hours and 47 minutes without using a rope.
According to Nepal’s Department of Tourism, Steck slipped and fell off a slope. “He skidded off about 1,000 metres from (Everest) camp two early. Other climbers ascending Everest saw him and asked for his rescue,” Dinesh Bhattarai, director general at the Department of Tourism told AFP.
Steck’s family said in a statement on his website the exact circumstances of his death were still unclear.
“The family is infinitely sad and asks that the media refrain from speculating about his death out of respect and consideration for Ueli,” the statement read. “As soon as reliable information about Ueli Steck’s death becomes available, the media will be informed.”
His body has been recovered from the site and been taken to Lukla, where the only airport in the Mount Everest area is located.
