Kei Taniguchi (mountaineer) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born | 14 July 1972 Wakayama City, Japan |
| Died | 22 December 2015 (aged 43) Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Climbing career | |
| Type of climber | Mountaineering |
| Known for | First female winner of prestigious mountaineer prize Piolet d'Or |
Kei Taniguchi (谷口 けい, Taniguchi Kei, 14 July 1972 – 22 December 2015) was a famous Japanese mountaineer. She was known for her brave climbing style. Kei Taniguchi climbed many challenging new routes on mountains around the world. These included peaks in Alaska, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, and China.
In 2009, she made history. Kei Taniguchi became the first female climber to win the important Piolet d'Or award. This award is also known as the Golden Ice Axe. She earned it for being the first to climb the Southeast Face of Kamet (7,756 meters) in India. She shared this award with her climbing partner, Kazuya Hiraide. Kei Taniguchi was known for climbing in a fearless style. She did not use Sherpa support. Many people saw her as a pioneer in mountaineering.
About Kei Taniguchi
Kei Taniguchi was born in Wakayama City, Japan. She spent her childhood years in Chiba, Japan. When she was in school, she read a book by Naomi Uemura. This book inspired her to dream of climbing mountains. Later in her life, Taniguchi wrote many essays. She also worked as a guide to help protect nature.
Her Amazing Mountain Journeys
Kei Taniguchi completed many incredible climbs during her life. Here are some of her most notable achievements:
- 1998: She graduated from Meiji University.
- 2001: She climbed Mount McKinley (6,193 meters) in the USA. She climbed for two days straight.
- 2002-2003: She joined the Everest Cleaning Squad. This group helped clean up Mount Everest with Ken Noguchi.
- 2004: She made the first climb of Golden Peak (7,027 meters) in Pakistan. This was a new, unexplored route. She also made the first climb of Laila Peak (6,200 meters) in Pakistan. Both climbs were with Kazuya Hiraide.
- 2005: She climbed Mustagh Ata (7,569 meters) in China. She also made the first climb of Shivling (6,543 meters) in India. These were also with Kazuya Hiraide.
- 2006: She reached the top of Manaslu (8,163 meters) in Nepal.
- 2007: She climbed Everest (8,848 meters) from the North wall in Tibet.
- 2008: She made the first climb of Kamet (7,756 meters) in India. This climb won her the Piolet d'Or award. It was the first time a woman received this honor. She shared the award with Kazuya Hiraide.
- 2011: She climbed several peaks in Alaska, USA. These included Francis Peak (3,185 meters) and Kahiltna Queen (3,773 meters). She also climbed Mount McKinley (6,194 meters) again. Later, she climbed Naimona'nyi (7,694 meters) in Tibet with Kazuya Hiraide.
- 2012: She climbed Mount Aneto (3,404 meters) in France. This climb was shown on the TV show Great Summits.
- 2014: She led a team of four Japanese college students. They made the first climb of Mansail (6,242 meters) in Mustang, Nepal. This earned her the Faust AG Adventurers Award.
Her Final Climb
In December 2015, Kei Taniguchi was trekking with other climbers. They were on Mount Kurodake in the Daisetsuzan mountain range. This area is in Hokkaido, Japan. While taking a break, she slipped and fell. She was found the next day and sadly passed away. Kei Taniguchi was 43 years old.
