Mortenson

In those valleys, Nanga Parbat's stony silence comes alive with the stories of local Kohistan and Diamar natives, who are some of the most reclusive and wild people in Pakistan. Even though they are devote Muslims, they fill their evenings with lively tales of fairy spirits that dance on Nanga Parbat's summit, guarded by snow serpents. Foreigners who fancy a dance with the fairies can visit Fairy Meadows, guarding Nanga Parbat's northern entrance.

The fairies below might bring good will, but the snow serpents on top maliciously guard the crown. Nanga Parbat is well known for its infamous history that has brought many climbers to their demise.

"Alfred Mummery made the first attempt on Nanga Parbat in 1895. Without oxygen, fixed ropes, or set camps, he reached over 7,000 meters..."

The intrepid British explorer, Alfred Mummery, made the first attempt on Nanga Parbat in 1895. Without oxygen, fixed ropes, or set camps, he reached over 7,000 meters with his Gurkha partner, Raghobir Thapa. Mummery's 'alpine style' of climbing up the direct Diamar Face, would not be seen again until Messner's Nanga Parbat ascent eighty years later. Tragically, Mummery died while he crossed a simple pass out of the region a few days later.

Early British expeditions focused on Everest with the likes of Mallory, Shipton, Tillman and others. One thousand miles west, Americans and Italians mounted extensive efforts on K2 with the Duke of Abruzzi (1909), Duca di Spoleto (1929), Charles Houston (1938 & 1953) and Ardito Desio (1954). But Nanga Parbat was the mountain of choice for German and Austrian expeditions.

In the 1930s, German – Austrian climbers mounted massive blitzkriegs on Nanga Parbat. Their huge expeditions attacked the mountain en force with huge camps, Sherpa porters and enough oxygen to keep an anesthesiologist going for a year. But 'the Naked Mountain' would not yield. Instead, it killed over eighteen climbers and became known 'the Killer Mountain.'

Heinrich Harrier ended the first German – Austrian era on Nanga Parbat when he walked right off a Nanga Parbat climb into WWII. He was arrested by British forces and later achieved fame during his illustrious 'Seven Years in Tibet' in far away Lhasa.

"In 1953, Hermann Buhl made a heroic, solo push into the night and literally crawled the last few meters to the top of Nanga Parbat's dome...."

WWII did not erase the German – Austrian desire for Nanga Parbat's illusive summit. But 'victory' came in a different way. In 1953, Hermann Buhl made a heroic, solo push into the night and literally crawled the last few meters to the top of Nanga Parbat's dome. He collapsed only one hundred meters below the summit on a tiny ledge, but managed to stumble into high camp the next day. Fortunately, he survived the epic with only a few toes lost to frostbite.

Buhl set the stage for Reinhold Messner's extraordinary climb of Nanga Parbat's southern precipice, the Rupal face, two decades later. Tragically, Messner's brother Gunther, perished in an avalanche during their descent. Messner chose to descend via a traverse down the eastern Diamir wall, to make it easier on his weakened brother. In part, the angst of losing his brother pushed Messner on to become the first climber to summit all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks.

In 1998, Ross Ali, the premier Balti high–altitude 'porter' from Hushe Village, made a superb two–day ascent of Nanga Parbat. When Ali told me about his two–day climb in simple, plastic mountaineering boots, I vowed to never complain about my cold feet on a weekend warrior trip to the top of Mt. Rainier (4,392 meters), four thousand meters lower. Shabash, Ross (Way to Go, Ross)!

Climbing Note: In June 1999, a team led by Peter Guggemos (Germany) placed four climbers on top of Nanga Parbat by the standard, Diamar Face Route. The climbers were Dieter Porsche (Germany), Mads Granlien (Denmark), Allan Christensen (Denmark) and Nicolas Cofman (USA). They were accompanied by a French and a Pakistani climber, who also summited. Peter Guggemos and another French climber very nearly summited, turning back just short of the summit ridge. This was the first ascent of the season.

— Greg Mortenson, MountainZone.com Correspondent