Routes of Nanga Parbat – Safety Tips 2024

So I was researching Nanga Parbat, the Killer Mountain nowadays. The narrations completely stunned me from the first summit attempt to the winter expeditions. Oh man! What a colossal mountain it is. Nanga, naked and killer in nature. Locals call this Diamer or Deo Mir, which means “mighty or king of the mountains”. It is the world’s 9th highest mountain, rising 8,126 metres (26,660 feet) above sea level. It is located in the Himalayan foothills, near the Northern bend of the Indus River. Nanga Parbat is one of the mountain peaks with elevations greater than 8000 metres.

Nanga Parbat is one of the most difficult climbs, earning it the moniker “Killer Mountain” due to the high number of fatalities and casualties during expeditions. It has massive vertical reefs in all directions. In the Tibetan Plateau Nanga Parbat is the Western peak of the Himalayas while Namcha Barwa makes the Eastern end.

Nanga Parbat is one of only two peaks in the world that rank in the top twenty of both the highest mountains and the most prominent peaks, ranking 9th and 14th, respectively. The other mountain is Mount Everest, which tops both lists. Nanga Parbat is also the Himalayas’ second most visible peak, after Mount Everest. Zoji La Pass in Kashmir Valley is the key col for Nanga Parbat, connects it to higher peaks in the remaining Himalaya-Karakoram range.

It was first summited by Hermann Buhl, a German–Austrian Nanga Parbat expedition on 3 June, 1953.

First winter ascent was done by Simone Moro, Alex Txicon and Ali Sadpara on 16 February 201616 February 2016.

The climbing routes of Nanga Parbat are as follows.

1. Climbing Route on West Face (Diamir)
2. Climbing Route on South Face (Rupal)
3. Climbing Route on North Face (Rakhiot)
4. Raikot & Diamer Face
5. Rupal Face

Western Face (Diamir)

This is the easiest and most attempted route. It is in fact a chain of routes, devised by different climbers.
Kinshofer Route (1962, original route)
Kinshofer Route (Modern Version)
Messner Brothers Route (1970)
Reinhold Messner, Solo Route (1978)
Slovenian Route (2011)
Pre-summit Section Schell Route (1976 – this ascent was made from the Rupal side through the Mazeno Pass)
Several variants of the Schell Route exist even today.
Passage by Ronald Naar (1981)
Viki Groselj and Irena Mrak Variants

South Face (Rupal)

South East Spur or Messner Route

First Ascent was Reinhold Messner, Gunther Messner, Peter Scholz and Felix Kuen in 1970.

Upper South West Ridge (Schell Route)

First Ascent was done by Gimpel, Schauer, Schell and Sturm in 1976.

South East Pillar

First Ascent was done by Zygmunt Heinrich, Jerzy Kukuczka, Carlos Carsolio and Slavomir Lobodzinski in 1982.

Direct South – East Face

Unclimbed

Steve House and Bruce Miller reached up to 7550 metres in 2004.

South – East Face – Central Pillar

First Ascent was by Steve House & Vince Anderson in 2005.

South Face Direct

Unclimbed

Attempted by Tomaž Humar in 2005 but he could reached up to 6300 metres only.

North Face (Rakhiot)

Rakhiot Glacier and East Ridge

First Ascent was successfully done by Hermann Buhl in 1953.

Japanese Route

First Ascent was done by Hiroshi Sakai, Yukio Yabe and Takeshi Akiyama in 1996.

Rakhiot Face

Rakhiot Face/Flank is complex, slightly sloped which rises about 7,000 metres (23,000 feet) in just 25 KM (16 miles) from the Indus river valley to the top in the North. It is one of the ten greatest elevations in such a short distance on Earth.
This Face is unclimbed as yet. It was attempted only once in 1988 by an Italian team.

Rupal Face

In the South of Nanga Parbat there’s world’s highest mountain face, the Rupal Face. It rises above 4,600 metres (15,090 feet) from the sea level.

Climbing is an extreme and dangerous sport, but most accidents occur due to the climber’s mistakes. We chose Nanga Parbat because it is known as the world’s killer mountain. This article will discuss tips and tricks for climbers on how to avoid casualties while trekking to the summit. Instead of these precautionary measures, they should think about how to improve their safety on the next expedition.

Examine the Harness

Even if you have climbed a mountain several times before, you must be extremely cautious every time you plan. Once you’re ready to begin your adventure, make sure the harness buckles are doubled back.

Check the Knots

Before you begin climbing, double-check the knots. Check that the lead climber tied the knots correctly and that there is a backup knot as well.

Climbing Helmet

Wearing a climbing helmet is more than necessary if you want to live in harmony with your mountain climbing passion. During a fall or rockfall, the climbing helmet is the only thing that can protect your head from head injury. A simple, random and small rock can put you in perilous situations. You can certainly avoid this by always wearing your climbing helmet.

Check Belay Device and Rope

Always double-check that the rope is properly connected to the belay device before heading towards a route. By doing that, you will be safer than the vast majority of inexperienced climbers. Make sure the rope and the belay device are both attached to the belay loop with a locking carabiner on the belayer’s harness.

Length of Rope

Use a long rope for climbing. It must be long enough to reach the anchors and belay ledge. If you have doubts that the rope is not long enough, tie a stopper knot on the tail to ensure that you do not fall.

Take Notice

Nanga Parbat climbing is a life-or-death hobby. You must exercise extreme caution and focus on what you do. Concentrate on the path established by your leader and avoid taking any unnecessary risks that could lead to a fall.

Bring Enough Equipments

Before starting climb on Nanga Parbat, double-check the route. You must visualise the route from the ground in order to know exactly what equipment to bring and how many bolts will require quickdraws.

Wrap The Rope Around Leg

Don’t keep the rope between or behind one of your legs. Make sure to keep it around the leg while climbing to avoid any mishaps. In case of fall if the rope is not wrapped around your leg, you will land upside down and could get head injury.

Correct Rope Clipping

To be truly safe, you must clip the rope as effectively as possible through carabiners on quickdraws. You should face the carabiner gate in the opposite direction of your travel unless you want to see an unclipped rope causing a lot of damage.

Use Secure Anchors

Don’t get on the route until you have at least two anchors. It is redundancy that keeps you alive. At the end of your route, always use at least two anchors but three would be preferable. Use locking carabiners so that if you fall, the rope will catch you. Ensure the quality of ropes and never let you fall down.

Piece of Advice

The ascent of Nanga Parbat is not for the faint of heart. If you do not take adequate precautions, your life may be jeopardised. Last but not least, keep a first-aid kit on hand. Check that communication is ready for the worst-case scenario.