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Swiss man summits all 4,000m alpine peaks

The Local/AFP
The Local/AFP - [email protected]
Swiss man summits all 4,000m alpine peaks
Ueli Steck took 62 days to complete his task. Photo: Jean-Pierre Clatot/AFP

A Swiss man has climbed to the summit of all 82 mountains in the Alps over 4,000 metres in just 62 days.

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Ueli Steck, nicknamed the “Swiss machine” due to his previous exploits, achieved his self-set goal on August 11th after completing his climb of the Barre des Ecrins in France, reported AFP.

The mountaineer finished off his task in 62 days, 18 fewer than the 80 days target he originally set himself.

The project saw him journey between mountains in Switzerland, France and Italy on foot and bicycle, without using any form of motorized transport.

“For me, it’s been a great experience, a fantastic trip,” 39-year-old Steck told AFP.

Writing on Facebook, the Bern native said: “Yesterday we finished the 82 Summits. I am super exited [sic]. ...lets see what comes next!”

However Steck’s journey was beset by tragedy on July 22nd when one of his climbing companions, Dutchman Martijn Seuren, died after falling into a crevasse on their ascent of Mont Blanc in France.

Known for his speed-climbing skills, Steck’s latest exploit adds to a long list of achievements.

In 2013 he won an international award for ascending the south face of the 8,091m Annapurna mountain in Nepal without an oxygen tank and in a record time of 28 hours.

He completed the ascent, which includes a 2,500m wall, solo and on a new route.

Earlier that year he was embroiled in a brawl with sherpas on his 16th Everest expedition.

In 2008 he climbed the Grandes Jorasses, with its 1,200m wall, in two hours and 21 minutes, a task that usually takes two days.

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