Andy Steindl sets new speed record on Monte Rosa Spaghetti Tour

35-year-old Swiss mountain guide Andy Steindl has completed the legendary Haute Route of Monte Rosa, more commonly referred to as the Spaghetti Tour, in a staggering 7 hours, 45 minutes and 44 seconds. Experienced mountaineers usually need between three and five days to complete the 30km, +4,423m route which touches on 18 4000ers. The previous "Fastest Known Time" of 9 hours and 18 minutes has been set by French mountaineer Benjamin Védrines in 2021.

Steindl, whose goal was to go sub 9 hours, set off at 2:45 am on the 19th of July from the Monte Rosa Hut (2,882m) towards the first summit, Nordend (4,608m), which he reached at 4:38 am. In ideal weather and snow conditions the Swissman ticked one four-thousand-meter peak after the next and reached the final destination, the Klein Matterhorn (3,817 m) above Zermatt, at 10:31 am.

Seindl knows this Haute Route like the back of his hand. In 2015 he teamed up with Ueli Steck and the pair climbed the 18 peaks in 14 hours and 35 minutes. This time was whittled down by an hour five years later by the Bernese alpinists Adrian Zurbrügg and Nicolas Hojac, while France's Védrines' record of 9 hours and 18 minutes in 2021 raised the bar significantly. Steindl attempted to reclaim the record in 2022 together with Martin Anthamatten, but the pair narrowly missed the mark and checked in after 9 hours and 28 minutes.

Commenting after his feat, he explained "Today everything just went perfectly. I was in great shape and the conditions were perfect. My head was completely focused, the tactics were right and I was really in the flow for the first few hours. When I looked at the clock, I could hardly believe that I had really been that fast. Towards the end I had to really fight and persevere. The tour demanded everything from me physically and mentally. I am exhausted, but overjoyed. Simply an indescribable day for me."

Total time: 7:45:44
Kilometers: 30.28 km
Altitude (ascent): 4,423 m
Start: Monte Rosa Hut, Zermatt (2,882m)
Finish: Klein Matterhorn mountain station, Zermatt (3,817m)
Peaks climbed above 4,000 m: Nordend (4,608m), Dufourspitze (4,634m), Zumsteinspitze (4,563 m, Signalkuppe (4,554m), Parrotspitze (4,432m), Ludwigshöhe (4,341m), Corno Nero (4,322m), Vincentpyramide (4,215m), Punta Giordani (4,046m), Liskamm East Summit (4,527m), Liskamm West Summit (4,479m), Castor (4,228m), Pollux (4,092m), Roccia Nera (4,073m), Breithorn Zwilling Ost (4,139m), Breithorn Zwilling West (4,160m), Breithorn Mittelgipfel (4,159m), Breithorn Hauptgipfel (4,164m)