Nanga Parbat, Rupal Buttress Ascent and Tragedy. The Rupal Buttress of Nanga Parbat was very nearly climbed by Swiss Ueli Bühler on the 1982 Herrligkoffer expedition. He reached the 8042-meter south summit, the top of the buttress, but could not go on to the top. A principally Polish expedition led by Pawel Mularz completed the route in 1985 on this southeast buttress. They had very bad weather and found the route dangerous. One of them, A. Samolewicz, fell 600 meters but miraculously was merely stunned. Piotr Kalmus was less fortunate. While returning to Camp I from Camp II he was struck by an avalanche and killed. On July 13 Poles Jerzy Kukuczka and Zygmunt Andrzej Heinrich, Mexican Carlos Carsolio and American Slavomir Lobodzinski reached the summit from Camp V. This was the ninth 8000er for Kukuczka.