NANGA PARBAT

Quick Facts

Nanga Parbat is one of the most iconic and dangerous mountains in the world. It’s renowned for its immense height, dramatic topography, and tragic history in the mountaineering community. Name Meaning: “Nanga Parbat” means “Naked Mountain” in Sanskrit. In Urdu, it’s called meaning “Killer Mountain.” Height: 8,126 meters (26,660 feet) – making it the 9th highest mountain in the world. Location: Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, in the western Himalayas. Mountain Range: Part of the Himalaya, but geographically it’s the westernmost 8,000-meter peak.

Nicknamed “Killer Mountain”: Earned due to its high fatality rate in the early 20th century. Especially during the 1930s, many climbers perished due to avalanches, exposure, or altitude sickness. Over 30 climbers died before the first successful summit.

Geographical Importance: Nanga Parbat rises dramatically from the Indus River Valley. Its south face, the Rupal Face, is considered the highest mountain face in the world, rising 4,600 meters (15,090 ft) from base to summit. The northwest face, the Diamir Face, is the most commonly climbed route today. Nanga Parbat is part of the Himalayan-Karakoram junction, near the Indus River.

Climbing History: The mountain gained notoriety for the high number of fatalities in early German expeditions during the 1930s. German climbers focused on Nanga Parbat since access to other Himalayan peaks like Everest was restricted to British expeditions.

First Ascent

Achieved by: Hermann Buhl, an Austrian climber.

Date: July 3, 1953

Route: Raikot Face 

Base camps: 1. Rupal Base Camp 2. Fairy Meadows 3. Diamir Base Camp: