"Race to the Summit / Duel at the Abyss " is a recent film about ultra-athletes and mountaineers Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold. These two Swiss climbers are soloists and ultra-fast record-holders. The entire film is dedicated to close-up views of their ascents and their thought process.
Ueli Steck, known as the "Swiss Machine," was the first to solo speed ascents of the three biggest Alpine faces in Europe - the Eiger, Matterhorn, and Grandes Jorasses. Watching him climb is unforgettable. A person running up a wall! He was a mega-professional in every aspect. Afterwards, there were fantastic ascents in the Himalayas. Or were there? You'll find out all about it in the film.
And that would have been enough for a film. But the record of the Swiss Machine is surpassed by some engineer who doesn't even train! Dani Arnold systematically broke Ueli's records on European faces. It's quite the competition. But it's presented with Swiss-German cinematic realism.
And the commentator in this film is none other than Alex Honnold. Indeed, who better than him to talk about Solo?
In the end, Ueli Steck tragically passed away on Nuptse, leaving a monumental legacy in mountaineering. Dani Arnold is still in the game.
So, for those who have access, watch this film about the "cosmonauts" on Netflix with Ukrainian subtitles. Ultimately, it's no less fantastic than any science fiction.
