In a groundbreaking alpine feat, three European mountaineers have etched their names into history by scaling Pakistan’s formidable Nanga Parbat via the treacherous Rupal Face—and descending in unprecedented fashion.
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German alpinist David Göttler and French climbers Tiphaine Duperier and Boris Langenstein summited the 8,126-metre peak—famously dubbed the ‘Killer Mountain’—in alpine style, without fixed ropes or supplementary oxygen, between June 21 and 24, via the challenging Schell route.
The descent was equally historic. Göttler, 47, initially planned to paraglide directly from the summit. However, fierce winds forced him to delay his launch until he reached an altitude of 7,700 metres. From there, he soared back to base camp in just 30 minutes, completing what’s believed to be the first paraglider descent from such height on Nanga Parbat.
“Summiting Nanga Parbat in alpine style with Tiphaine and Boris was incredible,” Göttler later shared, “but flying from 7,700m all the way to base camp the same day took the joy to the next level.”
Meanwhile, Duperier and Langenstein made history with what is being hailed as the first-ever ski descent from the summit via the Rupal Face. After camping overnight at 7,625 metres, the duo skied and climbed down the mountain’s massive southern wall—descending 4,600 vertical metres over three days to reach base camp.
Naiknaam Karim, CEO of Adventure Tours Pakistan, confirmed the team’s extraordinary ascent and descent, calling it “a landmark moment in the history of high-altitude mountaineering in Pakistan.”
Nanga Parbat, the world’s ninth-highest peak, has long been considered one of the most dangerous climbs due to its technical difficulty and volatile weather. These latest achievements mark a significant milestone in alpine-style climbing and adventure sports on one of the Himalayas’ most feared giants.
