by Ed » Sun Jan 28, 2018 11:35 am
The heavy death toll on Nanga Parbat, which dates back to the German/Austrian expeditions of the 1930's, tends to be due to avalanches. It was considered the 'German' mountain, as Everest was considered 'British' and K2 'American'. Reinhold Messner, perhaps the greatest high-altitude mountaineer ever, though definitely not the most lovable, lost his brother Gunther descending Nanga Parbat in 1970, after they made the summit, in one of the most controversial Himalayan climbs in history. Messner made a specialty of doing the 8,000 meter peaks 'alpine-style' and without oxygen. I believe the Poles have made a specialty doing the 8,000 meter peaks in the winter.