Iñaki Ochoa de Olza facts for kids

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza (born May 29, 1967, in Pamplona, Navarre; died May 23, 2008, in Annapurna, Nepal) was a famous Spanish mountain climber. He was known for his amazing climbs in the Himalayas, which are huge mountains in Asia.

Iñaki went on more than 30 climbing trips to the Himalayas. He also helped over 200 other climbers as a guide. He achieved a remarkable feat: he climbed 12 of the world's 14 tallest mountains, all without using extra oxygen. He believed that true alpinists should not use oxygen. He once said that using oxygen was like being an "astronaut or a scuba diver" instead of a climber. Sadly, he passed away in May 2008 while trying to climb Annapurna. This would have been his 13th climb of an "eight-thousander" (a mountain over 8,000 meters high).

Becoming a Mountaineer

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza was born in Pamplona, a city in northern Spain, on May 29, 1967. He started climbing at a young age. When he was just 22, he reached the top of Kangchenjunga. This was his first climb over 8,000 meters (about 26,247 feet).

Besides climbing, Iñaki also worked as a high altitude guide. He helped other climbers reach high peaks safely. He was also a cameraman, filming his adventures and the beautiful mountain scenery. In 2005, he made a solo climb on a new path up Shishapangma. This was a very impressive achievement.

Iñaki was given the Gold Medal of Sports Merit by the Government of Navarre. This award recognized his incredible climbing career. All the climbers who helped in the attempt to rescue him also received this special award.

His Final Climb

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza died in 2008 while trying to climb Annapurna. This mountain in Nepal is 8,091 meters (26,545 feet) tall. Iñaki was climbing with his friend, Romanian climber Horia Colibășanu.

They had to stop their climb near the top because of very bad weather. Iñaki also got severe frostbite on his hands. This is when body tissue freezes due to extreme cold. Because of this, they had to turn back down the mountain.

As they were going down, Iñaki collapsed near Annapurna's Camp 4. He had a sudden medical emergency. He and Horia could not go any further. Iñaki suffered damage to his lungs and brain. His condition was made worse by pulmonary edema, which is when fluid builds up in the lungs at high altitudes.

Rescue Attempts

Many people tried to save Iñaki's life. A Swiss climber named Ueli Steck climbed up to Iñaki's location. Ueli had stopped his own climb on Annapurna earlier because of danger from avalanches. He brought emergency medical help to Iñaki.

Doctors from a hospital in Pamplona, Spain, also tried to help Iñaki from far away. They gave advice over the radio. However, heavy snow and the very high altitude made rescue attempts almost impossible. Helicopters usually cannot fly or hover at altitudes above 7,400 meters (about 24,278 feet). Also, very few people can handle such extreme heights to carry out a rescue.

Ueli Steck and Horia Colibășanu did their best to give Iñaki first aid. But the conditions were too harsh.

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza passed away on May 23, 2008. He died at 6:45 a.m. GMT in an emergency tent on Annapurna. He had been stuck there for five days, mostly unable to move or fully wake up. Doctors believe he died from pulmonary edema and a brain injury. His family asked that his body remain on the mountain, at 7,400 meters.

Notable Ascents

Here are some of the very tall mountains Iñaki Ochoa de Olza successfully climbed:

• Cho Oyu (8,201 m): in 1993.
• Gasherbrum I (8,068 m): in 1996.
• Gasherbrum II (8,035 m): in 1996.
• Lhotse (8,516 m): in 1999.
• Mount Everest (8,848 m): in 2001.
• Nanga Parbat (8,125 m): in 2003.
• Broad Peak (8,046 m): in 2003.
• Makalu (8,463 m): in 2004.
• K2 (8,611 m): in 2004.
• Manaslu (8,163 m): in 2006.
• Shisha Pangma (8,027 m): in 2006.
• Dhaulagiri (8,167 m): in 2007.

Images for kids

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  The south face of Annapurna, a very challenging climb.

See also

In Spanish: Iñaki Ochoa de Olza para niños