Kurt Diemberger facts for kids
Kurt Diemberger in 2005
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Born | 16 March 1932 Villach, Austria |
| Occupation | Mountaineer, writer |
| Climbing career | |
| Known for | The second person after H. Buhl to make first ascents on two eight-thousanders |
| First ascents | |
Kurt Diemberger (born 16 March 1932) is a famous Austrian mountaineer and writer. He is known for being the only living person to have climbed two "eight-thousanders" first. These are mountains that are over 8,000 metres (about 26,247 feet) tall. He was the first to reach the top of Broad Peak in 1957 and Dhaulagiri in 1960. In 2013, he received a special award called the Piolet d'Or for his amazing climbing career.
Contents
A Life of Climbing
Kurt Diemberger went to university in Vienna, Austria. He became one of the most skilled climbers of his time. He is one of only two climbers to make the first successful climb of two different mountains over 8,000 metres high.
In 1957, Kurt was climbing Chogolisa with another famous mountaineer, Hermann Buhl. During their climb, Hermann Buhl had an accident. He fell through a snow overhang, called a cornice, and was lost. This event showed how dangerous climbing high mountains can be.
The K2 Challenge
Kurt Diemberger faced another very difficult challenge in 1986. He was climbing K2, which is the second highest mountain in the world. K2 is known as a very tough and dangerous mountain to climb.
On August 4, 1986, Kurt and his climbing partner, Julie Tullis, reached the top of K2. It was late in the day, which made the descent even harder. As they started to climb down, Julie fell, pulling Kurt with her. Luckily, they managed to stop themselves from falling off the mountain.
They had to spend the night very high up, above 8,000 metres, in extreme cold. The next day, they made it to a camp lower down. However, a strong storm with very high winds had destroyed their tent. They had to share tents with other climbers.
Sadly, Julie Tullis passed away that night. Only one other climber, Willi Bauer, survived the difficult climb down with Kurt. Both Kurt and Willi suffered severe frostbite on their hands and feet. They needed operations to remove parts of their frozen limbs.
Awards and Legacy
In 2013, Kurt Diemberger was honored with the 5th Piolet d'Or "Lifetime Achievement Award." This award celebrates climbers who have shown great skill and spirit throughout their lives.
Even today, Kurt Diemberger is still involved in the world of mountaineering. He works on film projects with his daughter, Hildegard. He continues to share his experiences and love for the mountains.
Books by Kurt Diemberger
Kurt Diemberger has written several books about his adventures. These books share his experiences and thoughts on climbing some of the world's highest peaks.
- The Endless Knot : K2, Mountain of Dreams and Destiny, 1991.
- Summits and secrets, 1991.
- Spirits of the Air, 1994.
- K2 : Challenging the Sky, 1997.
- The Kurt Diemberger Omnibus, 1999.
- K2. Traum und Schicksal, 2001 (This book is in German).
See also
In Spanish: Kurt Diemberger para niños
- Eight-thousander
- List of 20th-century summiters of Mount Everest
Images for kids
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Kurt Diemberger in 2005
