Heroic Times - The 1930s at the Eiger. Alpine achievements at their peak, contentious debates about the meaning or futility of mountain sports development, political appropriation and national sentiments, terrible tragedies, problematic rescue and recovery operations: The events at the Eiger from 1932 to 1938 undoubtedly include some of the most thrilling and tumultuous occurrences in the history of alpinism. In the mid-1930s, the 1,800-meter-high Eiger North Face became the new "last problem" of the Western Alps. A strong Swiss climbing team established an elegant line in the northeast face in 1932, but the leading extreme climbers from Germany, Austria, and Italy did not consider the Eiger face to be climbed. Despite the dangers, top alpinists began to tackle the actual north face starting in 1934. The drama of 1935 with Sedlmayr and...