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DreamGypsy

(2,252 posts)
26. The same type of tour company that take climbers to Everest.
Sun Jun 23, 2013, 03:13 PM
Jun 2013

A tour company that takes people to the places those people choose to go - Nanga Parbat. The climbers were undoubtedly aware of the mountaineering risks and accepted those; presumably they knew the political risks as well. Sad, but the reality nonetheless.



Nanga Parbat is located in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and is the Western bastion of the Himalaya. It is the nineth highest mountain in the world and the second highest in Pakistan after K2. Steeped in a history matched by few others in Asia it has staged some of the greatest Himalayan ascents of all time. From Hermann Buhl’s solo first ascent in 1953 via the Upper North ridge to Gunther and Reinhold Messner’s first ascent of the Rupal Face in 1970 via the South South East Spur, Messner’s solo climb of the Diamir Face in 1978, and more recently Vince Anderson and Steve House’s Alpine-style ascent of the Central Pillar of the Rupal Face. These epic climbs continue to inspire climbers to attempt yearly what is considered to be the second hardest 8000m mountain after K2.

Nanga Parbat is a truly awesome spectacle. The south face is the largest in the world extending over four kilometres above base camp. To date there have only been five ascents from the south. Nanga Parbat means "Naked Mountain" in Hindi/Urdu and is with reference to the south face's exposed rock buttresses. The north face is equally intimidating. In contrast to the south face’s steep rock and ice the snowy north face is guarded by a broad barrier of seracs that extend the width of the mountain. Climbers before the Second World War were convinced that the only way to climb the mountain was from the north via a long arc extending over Rakhiot Peak (7010m), between the two summits of Silberzacken and finally to the summit of Nanga Parbat thereby avoiding a more direct ascent of the north face. The route was dangerously prone to avalanche and exposed to bad weather. 31 people died attempting to climb the mountain leading to it acquiring the infamous name of the “Killer Mountain”. Nowadays it is not such a killer and there are other peaks that could inherit the nickname (eg Ultar or Batura I). Hermann Buhl’s summit route has only been repeated once (Slovak, 1971) to this day. His ascent marked only the third 8000m ascent after Annapurna I (1950) and Everest and was the only first summit of all the 8000ers to be done without oxygen and of course solo. Most attempts nowadays are via the Westerly Diamir face which is generally considered to be the easiest and safest with the Kinshofer Route the normal route. Nanga Parbat as of 2005, had received 263 ascents by 261 individuals (Messner and SP Member Qudrat Ali have climbed it twice) at a price of 62 deaths. Sixteen women have summited the mountain. Numerous challenging lines still await. The most difficult is an ascent of Nanga Parbat via the unclimbed Mazeno Ridge which constitutes the longest ridge in the world. A number of expeditions have made ‘attempts’ on the mountain during winter but to no avail.


It's so damn senseless. Nolimit Jun 2013 #1
War is hell. We declared war on those people. RobertEarl Jun 2013 #18
Do you actually justify this massacre question everything Jun 2013 #23
Yes, that is EXACTLY what happened cliffordu Jun 2013 #25
Then why did they kill Russians and Chinese? (nt) Recursion Jun 2013 #41
Monsters strike again. :( Cha Jun 2013 #2
Sickening dipsydoodle Jun 2013 #3
scumbags, they claim it was in retaliation for US Drone STrike that killed on of their members JI7 Jun 2013 #4
Seems like a rational plan, try to get other countries to force the US to stop its drones..... peacebird Jun 2013 #5
haha, you think they give a shit about innocent civilians ? they KILLED a pakistani civilian JI7 Jun 2013 #6
I did not say they were not monsters, merely that this action was a logical step for them peacebird Jun 2013 #7
they are not upset about innocent civilians who die from drones, they wouldn't care if it was just JI7 Jun 2013 #9
Yup. nt Lucky Luciano Jun 2013 #16
exactly samsingh Jun 2013 #36
That presumes their agenda is really stopping zone strikes geek tragedy Jun 2013 #13
it's disgusting- as disgusting as attacking Iraq cali Jun 2013 #8
You mean like when we butchered tens of thousands of JoeyT Jun 2013 #39
Barbarians... secondvariety Jun 2013 #10
More anti- Islam bashing. jessie04 Jun 2013 #11
More stick your head in the sand. former9thward Jun 2013 #15
Post removed Post removed Jun 2013 #20
did you forget the sarcasm sign? samsingh Jun 2013 #37
"A Sunni militant group, Jundullah, said it was responsible." Botany Jun 2013 #12
That's right....lets kill,kill,kill jessie04 Jun 2013 #14
If you are part of or support a group that carries out this kind of crap I want you dead. Botany Jun 2013 #19
Do you want the US military and its supporters dead, too? Comrade Grumpy Jun 2013 #30
Exactly jessie04 Jun 2013 #43
There are no legitimate grievances which warrant such actions. (nt) Posteritatis Jun 2013 #28
I didn't see that anywhere in the poster's writing. Did you? /nt Ash_F Jun 2013 #31
There are no legitimate grievances which warrant JoeyT Jun 2013 #40
i suggest you go over to Pakistan and question anything and see what happens samsingh Jun 2013 #38
How will China and Russia react? mainer Jun 2013 #17
They won't give a flying crap. Beacool Jun 2013 #35
The establishment in Kashmir will make sure they are caught and probably killed vinny9698 Jun 2013 #21
If Pakistan wasn't illegally occupying Kashmir cosmicone Jun 2013 #24
What enlightened tour company... TeeYiYi Jun 2013 #22
The same type of tour company that take climbers to Everest. DreamGypsy Jun 2013 #26
Read the details of this travel advisory... TeeYiYi Jun 2013 #27
Personally? No. DreamGypsy Jun 2013 #32
Except most of these tourists weren't American mainer Jun 2013 #33
That reminds me. It's been a while a since I read a drone-kills-a-dozen-children story. Ash_F Jun 2013 #29
It's been tapering down for the past 3 or 4 years Recursion Jun 2013 #42
American among 10 tourists killed by Pakistani militants Eugene Jun 2013 #34
Yep....those drone attacks are coming home. jessie04 Jun 2013 #44
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