Ueli Steck | Credit: Ludovic Péron Wiki | License

Ueli Steck, one of the most revered mountaineers of his time, died on 30 April 2017 while on a Himalayan expedition on Mount Nuptse. He was 40 years old. Steck leaves behind a loving wife, Nicole Steck.

Details of Ueli Steck’s Death

Ueli Steck’s life ended as the first casualty of the 2017 Everest Season. This season he sought out to traverse a route only once completed before, a connection between Nuptse, Lhotse and Everest. This route was so challenging, Steck referred to his expectations as only having failed in the attempt if he died and did not return home, not if he didn’t succeed.

Steck died near the base of Nuptse at Camp 1 after falling 3,280 ft. (1000 m.). He had climbed the sister mountain of Everest to acclimate himself to the altitude before traversing Everest and Lhotse in May along with the rest of the mountaineering teams who make their summit assaults around 10, May.

On this day, Steck had been climbing alone in the absence of his Sherpa, who was medically incapacitated at Everest Base Camp due to a frostbitten hand. His climb was named “Ueli Steck’s Everest-Lhotse Project,” and this video would be one of his last.

Unlike many unfortunate souls, however, Steck’s body was successfully recovered and flown to Lukla Airport via helicopter from where it was transported to Maharajgunj-Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu to await an autopsy.

On 04 May 2017, Ueli Steck was given a ceremonious burial service in Khumjung, Nepal. The mountaineer was cremated, and in attendance were only close family and friends who mourned his death for over three hours. The ceremony took place in Tengboche Monastery in true Nepalese tradition. It was reported that some of his ashes were spread in Nepal. The rest were taken to Switzerland to be dispersed by his family.

Also see: “5 Famous Ueli Steck Videos.”

Sources:

“Climbers’ Bodies ‘frozen in Time’.” NewsComAu. AP News Corp Australia Network, 01 May 2016. Web. 04 May 2017.

Douglas, Ed. “Ueli Steck Obituary.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 01 May 2017. Web. 04 May 2017.

Mettler, Katie. “Ueli Steck, Famed Swiss Mountain Climber, Dead after Plunging 3,280 Feet near Mount Everest.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 01 May 2017. Web. 04 May 2017.

Chavez, Nicole. “Famed Swiss Climber Ueli Steck Dies in Everest Training Accident.” CNN. Cable News Network, 01 May 2017. Web. 04 May 2017.