Earlier in the week I shared a video of mountaineer Ueli Steck learning to operate a paraglider, which he would go on to use in some of his more recent adventures. In the past couple of days, that same video has started to show up elsewhere and this morning it was posted on the Nat Geo Adventure Blog. But rather than just sharing the video with readers, the team over at National Geographic also tracked Ueli down for a brief interview. As always, the “Swiss Machine” has some interesting things to share.
In the interview, Ueli talks about his interest in paragliding and how he has integrated it into his mountaineering plans. Remember, last year Ueli linked up three iconic peaks in the Alps for a single day of climbing and gliding. He mentions that it adds a bit of weight to his gear (2.6 kilograms/5.7 pounds) but it opened up new possibilities for his adventures.
The conversation also shifts to Everest and his plans for this year, which the Swiss alpinist is still keeping close to the vest. We know he’ll be climbing a new route with Simone Moro this spring, but what exactly that entails, we don’t know yet. Ueli also commented on his Everest climb without supplemental oxygen last year, saying his descent was “easy” getting back to the South Col in just 2.5 hours. He even weighs in on the topic of over crowding on the world’s tallest mountain.
In case you missed the video in question earlier this week, I’ve reposted it below. Go read the full interview by clicking here.
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I have little doubt that Ueli will become a master paraglider in next to no time. I certainly hope he's up to speed for Red Bull X-Alps in 2015.
This year's event is sure to rock – I followed almost non-stop two years ago. To have Ueli there… goodness gracious! I'll be even more glued to my computer 😉
I thought the same thing Lisa. His combination of special skills would certainly make him a worthy competitor. I wonder how fast he could go…