NANGA PARBAT DISASTER

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 454, 23 June 1937, Page 5

NANGA PARBAT DISASTER

LEADER ALSO PERISHES ONLY ONE SURVIVOR Seventeen Lives Lost Press Association —Copyright. (Received 11 a.tn.) London, June 23. A message from Simla states that Dr. Karl Wein,, leader of the German Nanga Parbat expedition, also perished in the avalanche which overwhelmed the party on June 20, killing seven climbers and nine Gurkha porters. It had first been thought that Dr. Wein had escaped. The sole survivor is Dr. Ulrich Luft, of Munich, who telegraphed to Simla from Gilgit that he is' safe and well and was not involved in the disaster.

Details of the disaster are still awaited from Major Kirkbridge, British Political Agent a,t Gilgit, who went to the spot after telegraphing the first news.

In 1932 and 1934, unsuccessful German attempts were made to climb Nanga Parbat. On the latter occasion the leader, Herr Willi Merki, also two companions and six porters, were lost in a blizzard when possibly within reach of victory. Thei tragic German expedition in 1934 has been described in book form by Herr Fritz Bechtold, who was a member of the party. The expedition ended after five members of the German party and nine native porters had established an advance camp at an aititude of 24.446 ft., in full view of the summit. In the first phase of the final effort, the climbers pushed up io 25,300 ft. and the conquest was at last within teach. However, a biting high altitude wind rose to a gale in the evening and then whipped into a blizzard which, unknown to the climbers, had raged at lower altitudes for the previous day. For two days the party endured great hardships at the advance camp before it was decided to retreat.

The blizzard increased in intensity and the parties became separated in the difficult conditions of the descent, but by a superhuman effort Aschenbrenner and Schneider came down direct from Camp VIII. to Camp IV., which they reached at night exhausted. Witli them came file first tidings of the disaster which threatened the advance party. Two days later four porters fought their way down chest-deep in sno-w and collapsed into the camp in terrible condition. They told how the party's tents and sleeping bags had been torn away by the wind, and also of death and suffering among the others. Nearly a week after the descent had commenced another porter struggled into Camp IV. through gale and snow, badly frostbitten, and brought the last tidings of the party’s, fight for life on the mountain above. Dr. Wieland and Dr. Weizenbach had died in their tracks. The leader. Herr Merki, in a terribly weakened condition, and with a brave and loyal porter, was still alive in ian ice cave on the great ridge, but unable to move. They had not eaten for a week. Cries were' heard from the ridge on July 15, but in spite of gallant attempts at rescue, which were repulsed by the unfa.tLj'amed snowdrifts again and again, little could be done. At last the cry from above was stilled.