Himalayan Range or 'Himalayas' are beyond doubt the biggest mountain system on planet Earth. Himalayas stretch across five countries to include Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The North-western and Westen spurs of the Himalayas that enter Pakistan are not the highest parts of this spectacula mountian system. But even these remanants in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan yield one of the most magnificent, majestic and challenging Eight-thousander called Nanga Parbat which is one of the most fearfully respected and venerated peak withing the climbing circles across the globe. So brutal, technically demanding and physically punishing is the ascent to Nanga Parbat that it is aptly called "Killer Mountain" by the mountaineers.

Located at coordinates 35°14′15″ Northing and 74°35′21″ Easting in the Diamer District of Pakistan, Nanga Parbat has been called the Western Anchor of Himalayas. It is the 9th highest (8,126 m or 26,660 ft) mountain in the world, 2nd highest peak in Pakistan and highest point of Himalyan Range in Pakistan. One of the most notable feature of Nanga Parbat is its high rise as compared to its surrounding terrain which makes it notoriously difficult to climb and tends to test to the optimum the stamina, endurance and confidence of climbers. Nothwithstanding the fact that it is comparatively low on the highest mountains chart, Nanga Parbat is the least attempted and most feared peak after K2. There have been numerous fatalities of climbers from different parts of the world during ascent to Nanga Parbat

Distinctive Features

The most distinguishing feature of Nanga Parbat is its vertical relief over the surrounding terrain. The Southern cliff, referred to as Rupal Face, rises 4,600 m (15,090 ft) from the base and it has been recognized as the world's highest "mountain face". Rakhiot Flank to the north has a comparatively gentle slope but its overall rise is about 7,000 m (23,000 feet from the Indus Valley. These coupled with sudden weather changes and frequent snow slides, highly cravessed routes and lack of secure staging places make ascent to the peak highly challenging and infact prohibiting. The bulk of Nanga Parbat is an erormous mix of rock and ice with the core stretching from south-west to north-east. It is perhaps for these features that the mountain is called Nanga Parbat meaning "Naked Mountain" or "Bare Mountain"

Climbing History

As humbling as the ascent to the summit of Nanga Parbat is, the mountain itself is easy to access from the Diamir as well as Indus Valley. Because of the easy accessibility, attempts to ascend Nanga Parbat began as early as the end of 19th Century. The first recorded expedition to Nanga Parbat was led by Albert F. Mummery in 1985 which reached only 6,100 m on the Diamir Face. Mummery and two of his Gorkha companions died while exploring the possibility of further ascent. Later in 1930s Nanga Parbat drew lot of interest from German expeditionists mainly because being under Brithish control highest points of the Himalayas were not open to German explorers. The combined German-US expedition in 1932 failed mainly due to lack of Himalayan experience and poor logistic planning required for a peak as brutal as Nanga Parbat. The expedition had to be called off but the team did establish the feasibility of an ascent routs via Rakhiot Peak.

As humbling as the ascent to the summit of Nanga Parbat is, the mountain itself is easy to access from the Diamir as well as Indus Valley. Because of the easy accessibility, attempts to ascend Nanga Parbat began as early as the end of 19th Century. The first recorded expedition to Nanga Parbat was led by Albert F. Mummery in 1985 which reached only 6,100 m on the Diamir Face. Mummery and two of his Gorkha companions died while exploring the possibility of further ascent. Later in 1930s Nanga Parbat drew lot of interest from German expeditionists mainly because being under Brithish control highest points of the Himalayas were not open to German explorers. The combined German-US expedition in 1932 failed mainly due to lack of Himalayan experience and poor logistic planning required for a peak as brutal as Nanga Parbat. The expedition had to be called off but the team did establish the feasibility of an ascent routs via Rakhiot Peak.

Another German team led by Willy merkle in 1934, though better prepared and organized logistically, met the same fate due to bad weather conditions forcing an unplanned retreat. It was a huge team of 14 members including that perished due to high altitude sickness, frost-bite and odemas. There was only one survivor named Ang Tsering, a Sherpa whose ordeal of survival is as bone-chilling and scary as it is a symbol of human enduracne and instinct for survival. In 1937 another German expedition comprising 16 members including 9 Sherpas met the same fate when their base at Camp IV was burried under an avalanche. All members of the team died. The Germans made another attempt in 1938 but the expedition was called off due to bad weather right at onset.

First successful ascent was achieved in 1953 by a German-Austrain team led by Peter Aschenbrenner via the Eastern ridge called Rakhiot Flank when on July 3, 1953 an Austrian climber Hermann Buhl managed to reach the summit for the first time in human history

Thereafter there have been numerous successfual and unsuccessful attempts to climb Nanga Parbat. The significant to mention is the 1984 French expedition when Lilliane Barrard became the first woman to climb Nanga Parbat, along with her husband Maurice Barrard. In 1985 a Polish-Mexican expedition comprising Jerzy Kukuczka, Zygmunt Heinrich, and Slawomir Lobodzinski from Poland, and Carlos Carsolio from Mexico reached the summit. In 1985 a Polish Women Team comprising Wanda Rutkiewicz, Krystyna Palmowska, and Anna Czerwinska reached the summit via Diamir Face.

In August 2005, Pakistan Army Aviation Pilots rescued a Slovenian expeditionist Tomaz Humar, who was stuck under an ice ledge at 5,900 m (19,400 ft) for almost a week. This rescue mission is believed to be one of its own kind at such an altitude under very trying weather conditions. The rescue mission is regarded highly in the mountaineering and aviation circles the world over.

Conclusion

Despite being at number 9 on the list of highest mountains in the world, Nanga Parbat ranks high on the list of mountains considered challenging physically and demanding logistically. While the accessibility from the road network (KKH) makes Nanga Parbat easy to access, the rock and ice structure of the summit make it forbidding and costly for the mountaineers. For this reason Nanga Parbat enjoys a definitive respect from the mountaineers.