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The Star
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Czech mountaineer dies on ‘killer mountain' summit
A Czech mountaineer fell to her death on the world's ninth-highest peak, Pakistani officials said, becoming the first casualty of the summer climbing season in the country. Klara Kolouchova, 46, the first Czech woman to summit the world's two highest mountains, died on Thursday after falling on the lower slopes of Nanga Parbat. The 8,125m mountain is one of the world's most dangerous climbs with a reported one-in-five fatality rate. 'Her feet slipped from a slope and she fell into a ravine,' Nizam-ud-Din, a senior local government official in Diamer district, said, adding that one of her team members reported the death. 'The exact location of her body will first be traced. Once confirmed, appropriate rescue operations will be initiated to retrieve the body by using a helicopter service.' Five of the globe's 14 mountains above 8,000m are in Pakistan, including the world's second highest mountain, K2. Himalayan peak Nanga Parbat earned the nickname 'killer mountain' after more than 30 people died trying to climb it before the first successful summit in 1953. The Alpine Club of Pakistan also confirmed Kolouchova's death. 'She was an inspirational climber and a source of motivation for women mountaineers,' Karrar Haidri, the vice-president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said. 'Her death leaves a void in the climbing fraternity,' he added. Her last post on Instagram on June 14 from Islamabad was a photo and video of her unsuccessful bid to climb the same mountain in 2024. 'Last year, the Naked Mountain laid me bare. Stripped me to silence, to stillness, to soul,' the caption read. 'This time, we aim higher. This time, we summit,' she added. The incident is the first casualty of the summer season, according to the Alpine Club, which monitors climbing expeditions in the country. The summer climbing season starts in early June and runs until late August. — AFP
NDTV
04-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Czech Mountaineer Dies On Pakistan's 'Killer Mountain' Nanga Parbat
A Czech mountaineer fell to her death on the world's ninth-highest peak, Pakistan officials said Friday, becoming the first casualty of the summer climbing season in the country. Klara Kolouchova, 46, the first Czech woman to summit the world's two highest mountains, died Thursday after falling on the lower slopes of Nanga Parbat. The 8,125-metre (26,656-foot) mountain is one of the world's most dangerous climbs with a reported one-in-five fatality rate. "Her feet slipped from a slope and she fell into a ravine," Nizam-ud-Din, a senior local government official in Diamer district, told AFP, adding that one of her team members reported the death. "The exact location of her body will first be traced. Once confirmed, appropriate rescue operations will be initiated to retrieve the body by using a helicopter service." Five of the globe's 14 mountains above 8,000 metres are in Pakistan, including the world's second highest mountain, K2. Himalayan peak Nanga Parbat earned the nickname "killer mountain" after more than 30 people died trying to climb it before the first successful summit in 1953. The Alpine Club of Pakistan also confirmed Kolouchova's death. "She was an inspirational climber and a source of motivation for women mountaineers," Karrar Haidri, the vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told AFP. "Her death leaves a void in the climbing fraternity," he added. Her last post on Instagram on June 14 from Islamabad was a photo and video of her unsuccessful bid to climb the same mountain in 2024. "Last year, the Naked Mountain laid me bare. Stripped me to silence, to stillness, to soul," the caption read. "This time, we aim higher. This time, we summit," she added. The incident is the first casualty of the summer season, according to the Alpine Club, which monitors climbing expeditions in the country. The summer climbing season starts in early June and runs until late August. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Arab News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Czech climber missing in Pakistan after fall on Nanga Parbat expedition
ISLAMABAD: A Czech woman climber has gone missing after a fall during her attempt to summit Nanga Parbat, a Pakistani mountaineering club said on Friday. Klara Kolouchova, 46, reportedly fell from a height between Camp I and Camp II of Nanga Parbat on Thursday, according to Karrar Haidri, secretary-general of the Alpine Club of Pakistan that organizes various expeditions. 'Authorities and rescue teams were immediately alerted and dispatched,' Haidri told Arab News. 'Recovery efforts are underway to locate and retrieve her body from the fall site.' Klara, an accomplished mountaineer, was globally recognized as the first Czech woman to summit both Mount Everest and K2. She had arrived in Pakistan on June 15, accompanied by her husband and five team members. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and the mountaineering community during this difficult time,' Haidri said. Nanga Parbat, the ninth-highest peak in the world at 8,126 meters, is infamous for its difficult terrain and high fatality rate, which has earned it the nickname 'Killer Mountain.' Over 100 climbers and porters have died on its slopes, with the Rupal face considered particularly unforgiving due to avalanche risk and exposure to extreme weather. Earlier this week, three European climbers achieved a rare feat on one of the world's most dangerous peaks by scaling Nanga Parbat from the treacherous Rupal face in alpine style, with one of them paragliding down from near the summit in a daring solo descent. Unlike traditional expedition climbing, alpine style involves climbing in a single push without establishing fixed ropes or pre-stocked camps, requiring climbers to carry all their gear. The approach demands speed, efficiency and a high degree of skill, especially at high altitude. German climber David Göttler was joined by French mountaineers Tiphaine Duperier and Boris Langenstein for the climb via the Schell route, a steep and rarely successful line up the mountain's massive southern wall. The Rupal face, rising nearly 4,600 meters from base to summit, is considered the world's highest mountain face and among the most technically demanding. 'Sometimes you need to be patient … It's taken five attempts, but now that I've achieved it, I know it's all been worthwhile,' Göttler wrote in a social media post on Tuesday, describing his 12-year pursuit of the route. He said summiting with his teammates in alpine style was 'incredible,' adding that being able to fly down from around 7,700 meters to base camp on the same day took his joy 'to the next level.'
Arab News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Saad bin Munawar becomes first Pakistani to summit Mt Everest from northern side
ISLAMABAD: In a remarkable feat, Saad bin Munawar has become the first Pakistani to summit the world's tallest mountain, 8,848-meter Mount Everest, from its northern face, his expedition organizer said on Saturday. Munawwar was part of a team of nine climbers who summitted the world's tallest peak as part of the Everest North Expedition organized by Imagine Nepal. The route to Everest peak from the northern face starts in Tibet, which is different from the Nepalese side route that most mountaineers take to ascend the peak. 'Saad has become the only Pakistani climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest from the north side,' his expedition organizer said on Facebook. 'The other climbers include Justin Moore Walker, Dawa Gyalje Sherpa, Ang Mingma Sherpa, Sonam Tashi Sherpa, Ngima Dorjee Sherpa, Lakpa Tenzing Sherpa, Dawa Kami Sherpa, and Thupten Topchen Sherpa.' A renowned adventurer, mountaineer and author, Munawwar has long been a source of inspiration in Pakistan's adventure community. Before this Everest ascent, he was the first Pakistani to summit 6,961-meter Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak outside Asia, according to Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), which arranges various expeditions in Munawwar's home country. 'This remarkable achievement is not only a personal triumph for Saad but a proud milestone for Pakistan's mountaineering community,' it said in a statement. 'His leadership in expeditions and mountaineering literature continues to motivate a new generation of climbers.' Earlier this week, Pakistani woman mountaineer Naila Kiani scaled 8,586-meter Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, to become the first Pakistani woman to scale 12 of the world's 14 peaks above the height of 8,000 meters. Kiani now stands on the threshold of joining a global elite of only 17 women who have conquered all 14 eight-thousanders, Imagine Nepal, which also organized Kiani's expedition, said after Friday's summit.
Times
11-05-2025
- Times
British adventurer's unusual journey to the summit of Mount Everest
In the 1920s, the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club formed the Mount Everest Committee, whose goal was to arrange a successful expedition up the mountain. Its first chairman, Sir Francis Younghusband, declared with all the humility of a senior Victorian army officer that there should be no spot on Earth's surface 'on which British man should not at least try to set his foot'. Mitchell Hutchcraft, a former Royal Marine, has clearly taken those words to heart, having undertaken a cross-continental triathlon of terrifying proportions. He set off from Dover for the Himalayas eight months ago, swimming 35km across the Channel, cycling 12,000km from France to India, running 900k to Kathmandu in Nepal and trekking 360k to Everest base camp, before going on
