Dani Arnold


Dani Arnold is a Swiss extreme mountaineer.

Life and career

Arnold grew up in the Canton of Uri and developed a passion for mountaineering at an early age. He first completed training as a mechanical engineer and then as a mountain guide. He quickly specialized in solo climbing and extremely fast ascents of major walls. In addition to his solo projects, he also works as a professional alpinist for various sponsors and gives lectures about his expeditions.
Dani Arnold is a mountain guide, married, father of a daughter, and lives in Bürglen.

Records

Arnold holds or has held several speed records on the six great north faces of the Alps:
  • Eiger North Face – New record with 2 hours 28 minutes via the Heckmair route, breaking Ueli Steck's best time.
  • Matterhorn North Face – Fastest ascent via the Schmid route in 1 hour 46 minutes.
  • Grandes Jorasses – New speed record via the Walker Spur route in 2 hours 4 minutes.
  • Cima Grande di Lavaredo – New record for the "Comici-Dimai" route with 46 minutes 30 seconds.
  • Piz Badile – Solo ascent of the north face via the classic Cassin route in 52 minutes.
  • Petit Dru – Fastest ascent of the north face via the classic route in 1 hour 43 minutes.

Other notable climbs

  • The Hurting – Mixed route on Ben Nevis with high "ground fall" potential.
  • Crack Baby Speed Record – Crack Baby 360m WI6 in 27 min 13 sec.
  • First repeat of "Anubis" in Scotland – First repeat of the mixed route "Anubis" on Ben Nevis, then the hardest mixed route in the UK.
  • Free solo ascent of Beta Block Super WI7 in 1h 03min – First and only free solo ascent of the ice route Beta Block Super on Breitwangfluh.
  • Ritter der Kokosnuss M12 – Mixed climbing of the "Ritter der Kokosnuss" M12 route on Breitwangfluh.
  • First ascent "Schweizernase" on the Matterhorn North Face
  • First ascent Uristier Schöllenen
  • Salbitschijen Solo Speed Record – New record with 9 hours, 36 minutes, and 55 seconds for West, South, and East ridges.

Expeditions and first ascents

Arnold has undertaken numerous expeditions and first ascents. Notable achievements include:
  • Patagonia – First winter ascent of Torre Egger.
  • Patagonia – Cerro Torre in winter – Successful winter ascent.
  • Alaska – First ascent of "Bird of Prey" in the Mooses Tooth Towers.
  • Canada – Power Shrimps Helmcken Falls – First ascent of the extreme ice route at the 140m high Helmcken Falls.
  • Pakistan – Broad Peak 8051m – Expedition to the 8051m high Broad Peak.
  • Russia – Expedition to Lake Baikal in winter – 10 first ascents between WI5 and M8 over the frozen Lake Baikal.
  • Iceland – Ice expedition – Ice and mixed climbing in Iceland.

Awards

  • Paul-Preuss-Award 2024

Documentaries

  • Matthias Affolter: Berge im Kopf. Film, 2014, 93 min.
  • Netflix: Race to the Summit Film, 2023, 90 min.
  • NDR: Climber Dani Arnold – Free Solo Records on the North Faces. Documentary, 2024, 30 min.

Publications

  • Why All This? Records & Reflections by Extreme Alpinist Dani Arnold. 2018.
  • 9:39 North – Solo through the Great North Faces of the Alps. Uli Auffermann & Dani Arnold 2022.
  • HOW not WHAT – Reflections by Dani Arnold 2023.
  • Anti Gravity – Thomas Monsorno & Dani Arnold 2024.