New Speed Climbing Record in Swiss Alps

Swiss climber Nicolas Hojac and Austrian partner Philipp Brugger have set a new speed record in the Swiss Alps, completing one of mountaineering’s most legendary endurance feats: climbing the north faces of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau – three of the most iconic and challenging peaks in the Bernese Alps – in just 15 hours and 30 minutes.

Known collectively as the “Bernese trilogy,” the three peaks tower above the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. Each mountain poses its own terrain-specific tests, but the true test lies in linking them in a single, non-stop push – covering significant vertical distance across technical rock, snow, and ice, and doing so at high altitude with minimal rest.

The feat, with the initial; aim of summiting all three peaks in under 24 hours, breaks the long-standing record of 25 hours set by Swiss alpinists Ueli Steck and Stephan Siegrist in 2004 – both widely regarded as pioneers in the field.

The climbers tackled one of mountaineering’s toughest endurance feats, covering vast vertical distances of rock, snow, and ice in a single, non-stop push.

Hojac and Brugger began their ascent in complete darkness at 01:00 local time, starting with the Eiger – the most notorious of the trio, famed for its daunting 1,800-metre-high north face. Using the Heckmair Route, named after the climber who completed the first ascent in 1938, ey reached the summit in just 5 hours and 43 minutes – an ascent that typically takes amateur climbers one to two full days.

From there, after a five-minute break, they descended to the base of the Mönch and tackled the Lauper Route – a historic line first climbed in 1932. At one section known as the Schulterstand – a German term meaning “shoulder stand,” referencing the early climbing technique where one mountaineer stood on another’s shoulders – the pair were forced to improvise after discovering that the sling, a crucial piece of gear used to anchor the rope, was missing.

After reaching Jungfraujoch, a high-altitude railway station located between the Mönch and Jungfrau, the pair took a short break. Facilities maintenance workers at the High Altitude Research Stations had prepared a surprise for the two climbers: a serving of French fries, fuelling their push to the third summit.

The final ascent of the day was the 4,158-metre Jungfrau. Despite exhaustion, the duo reached the summit at 16:30, capping off a day of relentless climbing in mixed alpine conditions. Their total time – 15 hours and 30 minutes – is nearly ten hours faster than the previous record.

“This record feels completely surreal to me,” Hojac remarked, adding, “We would have been very satisfied with 19 to 21 hours. The fact that we managed it in even less time shows that we’re all often capable of more than we think.”

Also for Hojac, the moment carried special weight. The original record holder, Ueli Steck, was a close friend, climbing partner, and mentor. Steck, nicknamed the “Swiss Machine” for his stamina and precision, was one of the most accomplished speed climbers in history before his death during an expedition in 2017.

“Ueli and Stephan were pioneers back then. It’s always most difficult for the people who do it first, and most importantly, it was their idea,” Hojac commented.