Nanga Parbat, known as the “Killer Mountain,” is one of the most treacherous peaks in the world. Standing at an elevation of 8,126 meters (26,660 feet), it is located at the northernmost part of the Himalayas, politically within the Gilgit-Baltistan region and specifically in the Diamer District.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 highest peaks, including K2, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II, and Nanga Parbat.
With its natural grandeur and the challenges it poses, Nanga Parbat has become a mesmerizing summit for mountaineers around the world, pushing them to test their limits. The mountain’s history and the stories associated with it create a sense of helplessness in the face of its enormity, and it hides an air of mystery that always captivates those who venture near it.
The record for the most summits of Nanga Parbat belongs to Pakistani mountaineer Ali Sadpara, who summited the mountain four times. Ali Sadpara was an extremely experienced and skilled climber who not only ascended Nanga Parbat during summer but also succeeded in climbing it during the winter of 2016, a historic achievement. Ali Sadpara’s repeated successful summits of Nanga Parbat earned him a prominent place in the world of mountaineering.
Among Pakistani mountaineers, Major Mohammad Iqbal became the first to summit Nanga Parbat. He achieved this feat in 1989, bringing honor to Pakistan. With this accomplishment, he became the first Pakistani to conquer Nanga Parbat.
There are three main routes to summit Nanga Parbat, each offering some of the world’s most difficult and diverse challenges. These routes are used to reach the summit from different directions:
- Rakhiot/Kinshofer Route:
This is the most commonly used and relatively easier route, passing through the northern side of the mountain and starting from the Rakhiot Glacier. Hermann Buhl used this route to make the first successful ascent in 1953.
- Diamir Face:
This route comes from the western side of Nanga Parbat. It starts from the Diamir District and is the second-most used route after Rakhiot. In 1962, a German-Pakistani team successfully summited via this route.
- Rupal Face:
The route from the southern side of the mountain is considered the largest and most difficult vertical face in the world. This route is incredibly tough and dangerous, requiring immense skill and strength to summit. In 1970, the famous mountaineers Reinhold Messner and his brother Günther Messner attempted this route.
In 1970, Reinhold Messner and his brother Günther Messner attempted to summit Nanga Parbat via the Rupal Face. They succeeded in reaching the summit, but tragedy struck during their descent. Günther Messner fell ill, and the brothers tried to take a safer and easier route, but the conditions became perilous. Despite Reinhold’s best efforts to save him, Günther was lost in an avalanche and died.
Günther’s body was never found for many years, and his disappearance became a major mystery. Finally, in 2005, his remains were found near the Diamir Face of Nanga Parbat, confirming his death. Although Reinhold Messner successfully summited Nanga Parbat, the death of his brother left a deep emotional scar. He later wrote books about the expedition, detailing the tragic events. This expedition is considered one of the most difficult and heartbreaking incidents in mountaineering history.
Nanga Parbat was first summited in 1953 by Austrian mountaineer Hermann Buhl. By that time, many expeditions had failed, and numerous lives had been lost. The first attempt occurred in 1895, when Alfred Mummery tried to summit the peak. However, both Mummery and his companions perished on their first attempt. By 1953, nearly 31 mountaineers had lost their lives, and Nanga Parbat had earned the title of the “Killer Mountain.”