At the end of June, David Göttler (Germany) and Tiphaine Duperier and Boris Langenstein (France), climbed Nanga Parbat (8125m) via the Schell Route on the Rupal Face in alpine style and descended by paraglider (Göttler) and skis after down climbing a few hundred meters from the windy summit.
The trio launched from Base Camp at 3600 meters on June 21 and summited on June 24 at approximately 3:30 p.m. Along the way, they established Camp II at 6800 meters and Camp III at 7400 meters while navigating the mountain’s south face. Where the Schell Route meets the Mazeno Ridge, they crossed the Mazeno Gap onto the Diamir Face and continued to the summit on the Diamir side. Göttler reported on Instagram that the final push was an exhausting effort: “The conditions on the summit ridge were exceptional, as was the weather, but the traverse itself has endless ups and downs which makes for an extenuating return,” he wrote on July 9. According to a press release, they carried a 50-meter rope, one stove, one tent and descent equipment.
Also from the press release, the French skiers bivouacked overnight at approximately 7625 meters following their summit push. On June 25, they retraced the upper Diamir slope where they crossed the Mazeno Gap via trekking and a 30 meter rappel. On June 26–27 they completed their ski descent from 7400 meters to 6000 meters, then down to base camp, with some walking through snowless ground near the end. This is the first ski descent of Nanga Parbat’s Rupal Face beginning from the summit.
This was the group’s second try since 2024 (American ex-pat Mike Arnold was also a member of that expedition). It was Göttler’s fifth attempt to reach the summit since 2013, including two tries in winter. Each attempt has taken him up the Rupal Face along the Schell Route. Their new success makes them the eighth group to summit by the Schell Route. Duperier is also the second woman on record to have climbed the Schell route, after Marija Frantar of Slovenia summited with Jožet Rozman in 1990.
Göttler aimed to paraglide from the summit but had to delay launch until 7700 meters due to high winds. He deployed his paraglider and flew to base camp in less than 30 minutes. It was likely the first paraglide descent from such altitude on Nanga Parbat.
Göttler remarked in the press release:
The cherry on top was the flight down, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. On top, reflecting on the bold accomplishment of the four Austrian climbers who opened this route in 1976 makes the whole experience even more special….
The many attempts I needed, over the years, to finally succeed in ascending and descending this incredible mountain in this style, makes me very proud. Nowadays everybody wants everything instantly and is not willing to dedicate a significant amount of time to achieve a lifetime dream. I hope to showcase that it’s worth it.
