Two climbers have shattered a 21-year record by scaling the iconic North Faces of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau in Switzerland's Bernese Alps in just 15 hours 30 minutes. That's nearly 10 hours faster than the previous mark.

Swiss Alps

Niklas Hodjak and Philipp Brugger have broken a 21-year record in the Bernese Alps by climbing the North Faces of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau within an impressive 15 hours and 30 minutes. This feat shaves nearly 10 hours off the previous best time. The Eiger North Face posed the most significant challenge, a formidable 1,800-meter-high peak that the climbers scaled quickly to ensure they could continue their journey.

The duo started their ascent at 1 a.m. in complete darkness, successfully reaching the summit of the Eiger in less than six hours. They quickly moved on to the Mönch, where they faced an equipment oversight, forgetting a sling for their rope. Despite this setback, they improvised and proceeded to conquer the final peak in record-breaking time.

Hodjak and Brugger's achievement is particularly remarkable, considering the challenges they overcame to get there. Previous attempts to break the record had been thwarted by poor weather conditions and personal health issues, notably Brugger's struggle with sepsis and a perforated bowel last year. Despite these obstacles, the climbers triumphed, marking a momentous accomplishment in mountain climbing history.



Climbers smash 21-year Alps record

A test of endurance and skill. A test this duo passed with flying colours. Niklas Hodjak and Philipp Brugger aimed to climb the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps in less than a day. They did it in just 15 and a half hours. The most difficult part for sure is the Eiger North face. I mean it's 1,800 metres high and you have to climb it in a quick time that you can continue, that it makes sense. And then also, I mean from this time where we were there, 15 and a half hours, you are maybe around 14 hours in terrain where you can die if you slip. The previous record was held by Hodjak's late mentor and stood for more than two decades. Hodjak and Brugger set out at 1am local time in the pitch dark to scale the Eiger, a sheer limestone wall covered in snow and ice. They summited in less than six hours, a climb that would have taken an amateur up to two days. After a mere five-minute break, they pushed on to the Mönch. It was then that they realised they'd forgotten the sling for their rope, a vital piece of safety equipment. They improvised before making it safely to the third summit in record-breaking time. Yeah, we did this project and we are, yeah, this time was really surreal. We didn't thought that it's possible. Our goal was to climb the Eiger North Face, the Mönch North Face and the Jungfrau North Face in under 24 hours and it's just a special place. Their victory has been a long time coming. They tried several times before but had to turn back due to poor weather and illness. Brugger survived sepsis, a perforated bowel and underwent several surgeries last year. But within weeks, he was back on the slopes. Camille Medelec, Al Jazeera.

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