K2 2025: Coverage: Death on Nanga Parbart

Tragically, there was a death on Naga Parbart, and the details were misreported. This is from Seven Summits Treks on what happened. Note that independent climbers summited before SST. German Alpinist David Göttler was successful on his fifth attempt on the Rupla Face in Alpine Style, summiting along with Boris Langenstein and Tiphaine Duperier.

On 3 July 2025, part of our Seven Summit Treks—Nanga Parbat Expedition successfully reached the summit of Nanga Parbat (8,126m), marking the first [commercial] summit success of the Pakistan summer season and fixing the route to the top.
Summited on 3 July:
• Paula Birgitta Strengell
• Dorota Lidia-Samocko
• Jorge Egocheaga
• Rana Hassan Javaid
• Dawa Sherpa
• Pasang Dukpa Sherpa
• Lakpa Temba Sherpa
• Ali Hassan
Summited on 4 July:
• Allie Pepper
• Mingtemba Sherpa (Mikel)
• Dawa Sherpa
 
However, amidst this moment of achievement, we are heartbroken to report that Czech climber Klára Kolouchová is missing. An experienced mountaineer, she fell while descending above Camp II. She was accompanied by her Sherpa, Taraman Tamang, when she slipped on a rocky section of the mountain.
 
A coordinated search mission is currently underway, supported by our ground team, her family, and the Pakistani Army, which is deploying a helicopter today to aid in the mission.
 
We would also like to clarify a misreport circulating in the media: it has been incorrectly stated that the fall was caused by the explosion of an oxygen bottle. This is not true. The loud sound heard was caused by an oxygen bottle striking a rock during the fall, which created a noise resembling an explosion.
We kindly ask everyone to help disseminate accurate information and to respect the sensitivity of this tragic situation.
My condolences to the family and friends of Klára.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything


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7 thoughts on “K2 2025: Coverage: Death on Nanga Parbart

  1. Guess it goes to show us again this sport has never been safe, and no matter whatever advancements in gear and assistance with personal Sherpas and the route being fixed with ropes from bottom to top. No matter how experienced someone is, oxygen was mentioned so she had that on her side too… In fact it’s a tendency for us to try to find fault with something or someone’s after the fact, poor decisions lead to tragedy.
    In this case I don’t believe anyone is to blame. Sounds like she did everything right, and she had a great team that knew what they were doing along with her. Sometimes you gotta blame it on mountaineering itself and the inherently dangerous aspect of it, especially the 8K’ers.
    God bless her and her family and friends and everyone that knew her. Not all of us get to spend our last days on earth doing what we love. I’m so very sorry I know that doesn’t help much right now.

  2. I don’t get it. There are fixed ropes on Nanga Parbat. Allie Pepper had confirmed that they had fixed ropes. So was Klara somehow unclipped from the rope?

    1. The Seven Summits Treks Sherpas fixed the ropes on NP, and she was with them. We don’t know exactly what happened other than “she slipped on the rocks.”

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