BURSTGerman alpinist David Göttler has made a historic first by summiting Nanga Parbat (8,126 m) via its formidable Rupal Face in alpine style and descending by paraglider. This marks the first recorded climb and paraglider descent of Nanga Parbat.
Accompanied by teammates Tiphaine Duperier and Boris Langenstein, Göttler ascended via the Schell Route, pioneered by Austrian Hanns Schell in 1976. The team climbed without supplemental oxygen, fixed ropes, or porter support, embodying the pure alpine style.
This was Göttler’s fifth attempt on Nanga Parbat, following previous expeditions in 2013/14 (with Simone Moro), 2021/22 (with Herve Barmasse), 2023 (with Benjamin Védrines), and 2024 (with Michael Arnold, Boris Langenstein, and Tiphaine Duperier). The Schell Route has been climbed only eight times, with the last ascent prior to this in 2013. Duperier became the second woman to climb the route.
After reaching the summit, Göttler aimed to paraglide to base camp. High winds at the summit forced the team to descend to 7,700m, where Göttler successfully launched his paraglider, becoming the first to do so from this altitude on Nanga Parbat. Duperier and Langenstein, meanwhile, bivouacked at 7,625 m before skiing and trekking back to base camp over three days.
Göttler told Gripped via email: For me, summiting an 8,000m peak via a non-standard route in alpine style with a small team stands as the pinnacle of my career thus far—a dream I’ve long held. Our ascent was true alpine style: just one 50m rope, a handful of pitons and cams for protection, a single tent for three, one stove, one sleeping bag, one mattress, and all our food and gas carried on our backs.
Before the summit push, we made a single reconnaissance trip to 6,000m on June 13-14, right after arriving at base camp, to cache gear and assess conditions. To acclimatize, the three of us had previously climbed Island Peak (6,165m) and Baruntse (7,129m) in Nepal.
The descent by paraglider was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, capping the adventure. Reflecting on the bold 1976 ascent by the four Austrian climbers who pioneered this route added profound meaning to our achievement.
This success came after years of attempts, which makes me immensely proud. In an era where instant gratification is sought, I hope our journey shows that dedicating time to a lifelong dream is worth every moment.
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