A South Tyrol native in the Himalayas – Hans Kammerlander
The mountains are his home. The more challenging, the better. Next to Reinhold Messner, Hans Kammerlander is the most famous South Tyrolean extreme mountain climber. In addition, he has made a trademark of extreme ski descents on the world’s highest mountains.
Alone on the trail
He has travelled the mountains since childhood. At first, it was just the mountains around his native Ahornach. Later, he took on the eight-thousanders. At the age of 18, Kammerlander began his training as a mountain and ski guide and in 1977, at 21, he passed all his exams. In 1983, he ascended numerous tough Alpine faces using the classic routes, sometimes solo. Today, his tour book comprises around 2000 climbing routes, 60 of which are grade VI solo ascents and 50 first ascents. These include the three major north faces in the Alps – Matterhorn (1976), Eiger and Grandes Jorasses (1981).
From the Alps to the Himalayas
Thanks to his Alpine achievements and his work at the Alpine School of South Tyrol, he was able to join his first Himalaya expedition in 1982. His ascent of the Cho Oyu with Reinhold Messner may have failed, but in the following year, the two men, plus Michl Darcher, became the first to reach the summit over the south-western face. In 1984, Kammerlander and Messner successfully completed the only traversing of two eight-thousanders ever (Gasherbrum I and Hidden Peak). In 1995, he managed to climb the Nanga Parbat and then ski down to the base camp – it was the first complete ski descent of an eight-thousander ever. In 1996, he completed the fastest climb so far (without bottled oxygen) and the first ski descent on Mount Everest. From 1983 to 2001, Kammerlander scaled 12 eight-thousanders ¬– his 13th, the scaling of the Shisha Pangma, was officially only granted for the middle summit (8008 metres). Traumatic bad luck struck on the Manaslu, resulting in the death of two friends. Thus, Kammerlander decided never to return to that mountain, hence not to complete the roster of 14 eight-thousanders.
Alpine School head abroad
For 15 years, until 2003, Kammerlander headed the Alpine School of South Tyrol. During that period, he also led expeditions to lower Himalaya peaks. The result of this activity was numerous first ascents of challenging six- and seven-thousanders. Kammerlander lives in Ahornbach. At the beginning of April this year, he launched his latest project: The ascent of the second-highest mountain of each continent respectively, which are often classified as more difficult to climb technically than the highest mountains. In the coming two years, this South Tyrolean extreme mountaineer intends to climb all “SecondSevenSummits“.
(Editorial office: Bergsteiger)
