Jeff Lowe

Catherine Destivelle is a documentary about alpinism that takes place in Eiger and Les Drus. It was directed by Stéphane Deplus in 1992 and produced by Almeriades. It features Catherine Destivelle and Jeff Lowe.

On March 9, 1992, at 10:30 pm, after a day in the cold and snow, Catherine Destivelle reaches the summit of the Eiger after facing her legendary north face by the 1938's Heckmair Route. She is the first woman to achieve this feat solo in winter. Destivelle back roped herself on the most difficult sections. The 1938 route on the North Face of the Eiger is justifiably regarded as one of the greatest routes in the Alps. The height of the face is 1800 meters with nearly twice that length of climbing, ice pitches of 55-60°, numerous traverses making retreat difficult, surprise bad weather when cold fronts come from the north, and worst of all, it is almost continually raked by stonefall.