Ueli steck AKA the “Swiss Machine” is a self-professed gear freak and prides himself in his enormous collection of kit.
Selecting what to use for his 82 summits challenge wouldn't be difficult with sponsors like Scarpa, Petzl and Mountain Hardwear providing him with some of the best and most versatile equipment out there. Here are the top five pieces of kit that got him through the summer of 2015.
Ueli Steck
Petzl
Sitta
149.99 €
RRP: 149.99 € Petzl Sitta Harness Weighing in at a mere 240g (size S) the new Petzl Sitta harness won’t weigh you down on long, fast and light missions in the alpine. Ueli probably didn’t even notice he was wearing it. With enough gear loops to carry your kit and a simple yet functional design, the Sitta surely is a winner if you want light weight over comfort.
Scarpa
Rebel Ultra GTX 2015
Scarpa Rebel Ultra GTX Ueli collaborated with Scarpa to make a boot that would work perfectly for technical alpinism and the results are fantastic. The Rebel Ultra is THE choice if you want to run around multiple plus 4000m summits on challenging terrain. A combination of Gore-Tex, Kevlar and a carbon fibre midsole make the Rebel Ultra GTX super light but also stiff enough for steep climbs; perfect for Ueli’s challenge.
Mountain Hardwear
Hueco 20 Backpack
Mountain Hardwear Hueco 20 For days when Ueli needed a little more kit than he could carry in his running vest (!) he’d use the simple and hard wearing Hueco 20 backpack from Mountain Hardwear to carry his ropes, clothing and other essentials. Its weight, durability and compact design make it the perfect companion for long multi-pitch routes.
Petzl
Quark
191.00 €
RRP: 195.00 € Petzl Quark The Petzl Quark is arguably one of the most versatile and widely-used ice axes on the market because it’s easy to strip down or build back up to suit your needs. If you don’t want the trigger or the grip rest, you can get rid of them for better usability in the snow, and if you want a hammer for bashing in pitons, you can add or remove it quickly and easily. This is Ueli’s go-to axe for Himalayan and alpine speed climbing.
Petzl
Laser Speed Light
Petzl Lazer Speed Light
Petzl have made a huge breakthrough with the Laser Speed Light ice-screw, shaving off around 21g per screw over the standard Laser Speed screw. If you’ve got to carry a rack of screws over a long distance, this would surely be the top contender.
We are releasing 'The Classic Alpinist. 82 Summits' all this week on EpicTV Watch Part One of the film here.
