The Hindu : dated July 8,1953: Nanga Parbat Scaled

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Tuesday, Jul 08, 2003

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dated July 8,1953: Nanga Parbat Scaled

The peak of the 26,629-foot Nanga Parbat mountain stood conquered. Its summit was reached at 10 a.m. on the 4th by members of an Austro-German Expedition under a clear blue sky. The conquest came 11 days in advance of a deadline fixed for July 15. Veteran Austrian climber Buhi Hermann planted the flags of the Federal Republic of Germany and Pakistan on the summit and stood surveying the scene from the lofty top for a few minutes, before setting off on the return journey. The giant mountain on the outer western fringes of the Himalayas had repulsed eight earlier attempts to conquer it. In 1934 and 1937 two German expeditions who went on the quest to climb to its top ended in complete disaster. In a message from the Expedition's base camp at Fairy Tale Meadow, Herr Aschenbrenner, the 52-year-old leader of the latest Expedition, had said earlier, "Weather permitting, we hope to conquer the defiant peak in about ten days." Reports said that radio news of the conquest of Mount Everest by John Hunt's British Expedition increased their determination to continue despite extremely inclement weather. The Austro-German expedition had arrived in Gilgit on May 5, and was joined by five Sherpas from Nepal. Dr. Herriligkoffer, whose brother Willy Merki died in the unsuccessful attempt to conquer the peak in 1936, had led the Expedition in the earlier stages of the climb, till Herr Peter Aschenbrenner joined the party. The latter acted as leader to the first advanced camp on Rakhiot peak at a height of 23,210 feet, 60 miles from Gilgit.

The Expedition was equipped with oxygen apparatus, and was assisted by the five Sherpas, and by 21 porters from the Hunza State.

Eric Shipton, British mountaineering veteran of three Everest expeditions expressed delight over the conquest of Nanga Parbat.

President Theodor Heuss of West Germany said in a congratulatory telegram, "Most pleased about your outstanding achievement. We congratulate you in the name of the German Federal Republic."

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