Race to the Summit (released internationally as Duell am Abgrund) is a 2023 Netflix documentary about the real-life rivalry between two Swiss speed climbers, Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold. Directed by Nicholas de Taranto and Goetz Werner, the film traces how the pair kept breaking each other’s speed records on the Alps’ most dangerous north faces — the Eiger, the Grandes Jorasses, and the Matterhorn — after Arnold beat Steck’s long-standing Eiger record in 2011.
Both climbers were known for soloing these routes without ropes or partners, which only raised the stakes of their rivalry. Race to the Summit premiered on Netflix worldwide on October 4, 2023, and has been streaming there ever since.
Quick Facts
| Title | Race to the Summit (Duell am Abgrund) |
| Genre | Documentary (Adventure / Sport) |
| Director(s) | Nicholas de Taranto, Goetz Werner |
| Composer | Sheridan Tongue |
| Release Date | October 4, 2023 |
| Runtime | Approx. 90 minutes |
| Where to Watch | Netflix |
| Subjects | Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold, Swiss alpine speed climbers |
Composer of the Race to the Summit Score
Race to the Summit’s score comes from British composer Sheridan Tongue, who joined the project in early 2022. Directors de Taranto and Werner wanted a soundtrack unlike most mountaineering films — no sweeping orchestral cues, but a pared-back, personal electronic sound instead. Tongue recorded live drums and metallic percussion over slow-evolving synth pads and textures at Igloo Studios in Burbank, giving the Alps’ peaks a distinct, tense identity on screen.
Songs Featured in Race to the Summit
| Song | Artist | Notes |
| Keep Hope Alive | The Crystal Method | Plays as a helicopter watches over Ueli during one of his record attempts. |
| The Race | Yello | Featured during Ueli’s climbing partner Robi’s account of what it was like to work with him. |
| Eye of the Tiger | Survivor | The Rocky III anthem, used to underscore the film’s competitive tension. |
| And In They Sink | Ffion | Featured in one of the film’s mountain sequences. |
| Harlow’s Experiment | Thomas Ragsdale | A live recording from State51 Factory, featured in the film. |
Where to Stream Race to the Summit
Race to the Summit has streamed exclusively on Netflix since its October 4, 2023 release. Sheridan Tongue’s score and the film’s licensed songs were not compiled into an official soundtrack album, but several of the featured tracks — including “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor and “The Race” by Yello — are available individually on Spotify and Apple Music.
(External Link: Esquire — The Tragic True Story of Race to the Summit and Ueli Steck)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Race to the Summit based on a true story?
Yes. It documents the real rivalry between Swiss speed climbers Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold as they traded speed records on the Alps’ north faces through the early 2010s.
What happened to Ueli Steck?
Steck died in 2017 in a fall while acclimatizing on Nuptse in the Himalayas, four years after the events chronicled in the film’s central rivalry.
Who composed the Race to the Summit score?
British composer Sheridan Tongue, known for pairing electronic textures with live percussion, scored the film.
Where can I watch Race to the Summit?
It streams exclusively on Netflix, where it has been available since October 4, 2023.
What is the German title of Race to the Summit?
Duell am Abgrund, which translates to “Duel at the Abyss.”
Related reading: Check out our Movie Soundtrack hub, browse more Netflix titles, or see everything on our Streaming hub.