During the 1930s the north side of the Eiger standing at 3970 meters was renowned as one of the mountain spots, in the Alps. Earned intimidating nicknames like “Murder Wall” or “Wall of Death.” Since its climb in 1938 over 70 individuals have tragically perished while attempting to conquer the daunting 1,800 meter high north face of the Eiger.
Similar, to the Matterhorn the north face of the Eiger stands out as one of the perilous and demanding mountains globally.
Eiger north face
The Ultimate Test: The Harrowing Trials of Climbing the Eiger’s North Wall
The Eiger North Face, also called the Northwest Face is a part of the Eiger massif standing at 3967 meters situated southwest of Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland. This imposing wall spans 1650 meters, in altitude while the renowned Heckmair route covers a climbing distance of 4000 meters. Its recognized as one of the most demanding climbing paths in the Alps. In total there are than 30 routes that traverse, through the face of the Eiger.
The Eiger North Face is usually accessible, for climbing throughout the year including summer and winter. However from June, to mid September there is often heat that may result in rockfall occurrences.
First ascent in 1938
On the afternoon of July 24 1938 Fritz Kasparek, Heinrich Harrer, from Austria and their companions Andreas Heckmair and Ludwig Vörg achieved a milestone by successfully scaling the formidable “Mordwand,” the imposing 1,650 meter high north face of the Eiger.
It is now widely acknowledged that their triumph would not have been possible without Andreas Heckmairs examination of the wall, its upper sections. During the summer of 1937 he dedicated two to three weeks to inspecting the Eiger wall. Using binoculars he scrutinized the ice fields. Committed their positions to memory. Recognizing that proficiency in ice climbing was equally crucial, as rock climbing, Heckmair identified a route that later became popularly known as the Heckmair Route.
Race on the north face of the Eiger
Over 30 pathways wind their way through the facade of the Eiger with some interconnected routes.
Back, in 1974 Reinhold Messner made headlines by scaling the north face of the Eiger in 10 hours a feat that took climbers a total of 3 days. Nowadays skilled mountaineers can ascend this route in hours when weather conditions are favorable.
In November 2015 Ueli Steck, a mountaineer set a record time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 50 seconds on the Heckmair route.
Then on July 27 2018 Dani Arnold from Switzerland completed the Cassin route on the north face of the Eiger in a time of 2 hours and 4 minutes. This achievement surpassed Ueli Stecks record; a climber who unfortunately met his end in a tragic mountain accident, near Mount Everest on April 30 2017.
Eiger north face ascent with a mountain guide
The Heckmair route is considered challenging due, to its sections reaching up to 80 degrees. In total climbers have to ascend 3,000 meters and overcome 1,800 meters. The duration of the climb can range from 10 to 20 hours depending on factors such, as weather conditions and individual fitness level. Scaling the north face of the Eiger demands a level of expertise. It is recommended to attempt it only under the guidance of an experienced mountain guide.
Climbing the north face of the Eiger therefore requires significantly higher standards than, for example, climbing the Matterhorn.
Video Eiger – Heckmair Route – Climbing the North face
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Video The Eiger Sanction Disaster: Clint Eastwood’s Deadliest Film Shoot
In the Summer of 1974, Spaghetti Western movie-star & director Clint Eastwood would travel to Switzerland to film a movie on the infamous North Face of the Eiger. This is the story of the true cost of completing this film.
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