 
 
Who First Climbed Nanga Parbat? First Ascent & Climbing History
Nanga Parbat was first climbed on 3 July 1953 by Austrian mountaineer Hermann Buhl, who reached the 8,126 m summit alone via the Rakhiot Face, without supplementary oxygen, after his climbing partner turned back. The ascent came after nearly six decades of failed attempts that claimed at least 31 lives, earning the mountain its enduring nickname: the “Killer Mountain.”
Quick Facts: Nanga Parbat’s Climbing History
| Field | Value |
| First ascent | 3 July 1953 |
| First summiter | Hermann Buhl (Austria), solo, no supplementary oxygen |
| Route | Rakhiot Face (east/northeast side) |
| Deaths before first ascent | At least 31 |
| First winter ascent | 26 February 2016 |
| Winter first ascensionists | Simone Moro, Alex Txikon, Ali Sadpara |
| Historical fatality rate | ~20–22% |
| Local/nicknames | “Diamir” (King of the Mountains), “Killer Mountain,” “Naked Mountain” |
Early Attempts and Tragedies
Nanga Parbat’s reputation as one of the deadliest 8,000m peaks was built decades before anyone reached its summit. British climber Albert F. Mummery made the first recorded attempt in 1895, scouting the Diamir Face before disappearing along with his two Gurkha companions, Ragobir Thapa and Goman Singh the mountain’s first recorded fatalities.
The 1930s turned Nanga Parbat into a German climbing obsession, and it was during this decade that the mountain’s death toll grew sharply. In 1932, a German-American team led by Willy Merkl reached roughly 7,000 m before turning back. Merkl returned in 1934, and this second attempt ended in catastrophe: a violent storm trapped the team high on the mountain, and Merkl, Willo Welzenbach, Uli Wieland, and six Sherpa porters died during the retreat, bringing that expedition’s death toll to ten.
The worst single disaster came in 1937. A German expedition led by Karl Wien was camped at Camp IV, below Rakhiot Peak, when a massive avalanche swept down from the Rakhiot Glacier in the night. All sixteen members of the camp seven German climbers and nine Sherpa support staff were killed, making it, at the time, the deadliest single incident in the history of Himalayan mountaineering. By 1953, the mountain had claimed at least 31 lives without a single successful summit.
The First Ascent: Hermann Buhl’s Solo Climb, 3 July 1953
The expedition that finally succeeded was organized by Dr. Karl Herrligkoffer, a Munich physician, as a memorial climb for his half-brother Willy Merkl, who had died on the mountain in 1934. Among the team was 28-year-old Austrian climber Hermann Buhl, a former Innsbruck mountain rescuer known for exceptional endurance.
By early July, the team had established a high camp at roughly 6,900 m on the Rakhiot Flank. When Buhl’s assigned partner, Otto Kempter, fell behind on 2 July, Buhl continued alone. He set off around 2:00–2:30 a.m. on 3 July 1953 and reached the summit at approximately 7 p.m. roughly 17 hours of continuous climbing, carried out solo and without bottled oxygen.
Buhl couldn’t descend before dark and was forced to bivouac just below the summit at around 8,000 m, standing on a narrow ledge with no tent or sleeping bag, taking stimulant tablets to stay awake through the night. He’d lost his ice axe on the summit and descended the following day with only one functioning crampon, stumbling into camp roughly 41 hours after he’d set out. His climb remains the only solo first ascent of an 8,000m peak in mountaineering history, and the Rakhiot Flank route he pioneered has been repeated only once, in 1971.
Other Notable Ascents and Records
Nanga Parbat’s three faces Rupal, Diamir, and Rakhiot have each produced landmark climbs of their own. In 1970, Reinhold Messner and his brother Günther made the first ascent of the Rupal Face, the ~4,600 m south wall considered the highest continuous mountain face on Earth. The achievement was shadowed by tragedy: Günther died during an unplanned descent of the opposite Diamir Face, a loss that Reinhold’s account attributed to an avalanche later supported by the discovery of Günther’s remains and a boot years afterward.
The First Winter Ascent: 26 February 2016
Winter attempts on Nanga Parbat began in earnest in the late 1980s, mostly led by Polish teams, and 31 expeditions failed between 1988 and 2015 before the mountain was finally climbed in winter conditions. The closest earlier attempt came in 1997, when Polish climber Zbigniew Trzmiel turned back just 250 m below the summit with frostbite.
In the winter of 2015–16, two teams joined forces on the Diamir Face’s Kinshofer Route: Pakistani climber Ali Sadpara and Spanish climber Alex Txikon, together with Italian climbers Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger. The four began their summit push on 22 February; Lunger turned back roughly 70–100 m below the summit due to illness, while the three men continued. At 3:17 p.m. on 26 February 2016, Moro, Txikon, and Sadpara reached the summit, completing the first winter ascent in the mountain’s history. Sadpara became the first Pakistani to summit an 8,000m peak in winter, and Moro became the only climber to complete four first winter ascents of 8,000m peaks.
Nanga Parbat’s Reputation Today
Nanga Parbat’s death toll has continued to grow well past its early climbing era. On 22–23 June 2013, militants stormed the Diamir Base Camp and killed eleven people ten foreign climbers and one Pakistani guide in one of the deadliest attacks on mountaineers in history. As of recent counts, approximately 70–87 climbers have died on the mountain overall, putting its historical fatality rate at roughly 20–22%, among the highest of any 8,000m peak. The most recent recorded death came on 3 July 2025, when Czech climber Klára Kolouchová fell while descending after abandoning her summit attempt.
Despite that history, modern commercial expeditions now climb the mountain most commonly via the Diamir Face’s Kinshofer Route, with support, fixed lines, and considerably more route knowledge than the pioneering teams of the 1930s and ’50s ever had. If you’re considering the mountain yourself, our Nanga Parbat expedition page covers the modern route, permits, and logistics for climbing the Killer Mountain today.
FAQ
Who was the first person to climb Nanga Parbat?
Hermann Buhl, an Austrian climber, made the first ascent solo on 3 July 1953, without supplementary oxygen.
Why is Nanga Parbat called the Killer Mountain?
It earned the nickname after claiming at least 31 lives across failed expeditions between 1895 and 1953, before anyone reached the summit and it has continued to carry one of the highest fatality rates of any 8,000m peak since.
When was Nanga Parbat first climbed in winter?
On 26 February 2016, by Simone Moro, Alex Txikon, and Ali Sadpara, via the Diamir Face.
How many people have died on Nanga Parbat?
Approximately 70–87 climbers, giving the mountain a historical fatality rate of roughly 20–22%.
Which face did Hermann Buhl climb?
The Rakhiot Face, on the mountain’s east/northeast side.
