Nanga Parbat, Diamir Face. Our expedition was made up of leader Dr. Eckart Gundelach, Karl Rössle, Thomas Mügge, Helmut Seitzl, Hubert Weinzierle, Gerhard Baur and me. We made our approach to Base Camp at 4200 meters from June 23 to 26. A reconnaissance of the Diamir face via the Ganolo ridge indicated that our projected route was too dangerous. We decided on the route by which the second ascent was made in 1962. Camp I was placed at 5100 meters on June 30. We ascended the Löw Ice Couloir on July 2. Seitzl fell 300 meters and was badly hurt. Weinzierle, Mügge and I managed to carry him to Base Camp, but he was not picked up by helicopter until the 5th. On July 8, the Low Couloir was fixed with rope and Camp II was placed at 6200 meters. Rope was fixed and Camp III occupied at 6700 meters on July 10. After preparing the route to Camp IV at 7200 meters, we retired to Base Camp on July 12, having run out of food and fuel. A Swiss and a Japanese married couple were at Camp IV. That day the Swiss got to within 80 meters of the summit and the Japanese reached it. The latter took two days to reach Base Camp, completely exhausted. A solo attempt by me from July 20 to 23 failed in bad weather. Mügge and I climbed from Base Camp to Camp II on July 26 and to Camp IV on the 27th. An attempt on the 28th failed at 7400 meters in wind and cold. On July 29, we set out again in deep snow and doubtful weather. Because of avalanche danger in the Bazhin Basin, we climbed a new route on the west side directly to the summit. At 2:11 P.M., we were on the summit and at 6:30 back at Camp IV. The next day, we two descended to Base Camp while Baur, Rössle and Gundelach climbed from Camp III to IV in worsening weather. On July 31 they gave up and were back in Base Camp after a dramatic descent on August 1. This was my third attempt on Nanga Parbat and my seventh 8000er. We had difficult relations with the Pakistani authorities. We also found the Chilas people deceitful.

SiGi Hupfauer, Mountain Guide, Deutscher Alpenverein