Asia, Pakistan, Nanga Parbat, Diamir Face

Publication Year: 1962.

Nanga Parbat, Diamir Face. A German expedition, led by Dr. Karl M. Herrlichkoffer and sponsored by the German Institute for Foreign Exploration, made a splendid reconnaissance of the 13,000-foot high Diamir (northwest) face of Nanga Parbat (26,660 feet). Toni Kinshofer, Jörg Lehner and Siegfried Loew established Camp IV at 23,450 feet above the greatest climbing difficulties before the advent of the monsoon turned them back.

This face was first attempted by A. F. Mummery in 1895 just before his tragic death. He tried to reach the Bazhin Glacier, which descends diagonally across the upper third of the face from Bazhin Col (25,630 feet), by means of a rib on the right side of the face. With the Gurkha Ragobir he nearly reached the glacier but had to descend after getting to about 20,000 feet because the Gurkha fell sick. This same route was reconnoitered by Peter Aufschnaiter’s German expedition in 1939 but abandoned because of rockfall and ice avalanche danger. They then climbed to nearly 20,000 feet on a rib farther left, which has the disadvantages of being difficult, of rockfall and of leading to the north peak (25,540 feet).

The present expedition decided against both of these ribs and favored one which lies between the other two attempted routes. Base Camp was established at 13,800 feet on the northern moraine of the Diamir Glacier in May. Camp I (15,750 feet) lay at the foot of the technical climbing difficulties. Class V and VI climbing, which included a 3000-foot, 50° ice couloir and difficult rock, forced them to place Camp II over 4000 feet higher! More than 3000 feet of rope were fixed between these camps. Difficult ice led to Camp III (21,650 feet). The route became somewhat easier and on June 20 the three climbers bivouacked at 23,450 feet. The comparatively gentle slopes of the Bazhin Glacier now led upwards to Bazhin Col, some 2300 feet above them, where they would have joined the route by which Hermann Buhl made the first ascent of Nanga Parbat on June 3, 1953, but the time and the weather was not theirs to continue upwards. The monsoon broke in full fury on June 21, and the climbers had to beat a retreat down the difficult slopes. The other members of the party were Anderl Michl, Harry Rost, Toni Messner, Rudolf Marek, Dr. Ludwig Delp and the geologist Gerhard Wagner.