15 June

Born on this day

1943 Pemba Tshering I, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Jannu (Kumbhakarna) in 1976, Kangchenjunga in 1980, Cho Oyu twice (1995 and 2000), Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 1994, Dhaulagiri I in 1995, Everest three times (1996, 2002 and 2003) and Manaslu RP in 1996.
1945 Alois Bogenschütz, German climber, who ascended Gasherbrum II in 2000, Manaslu (?) in 2002, Cho Oyu in 2007 and Everest in 2009.
1949 Phu Dorje II, Indian Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest in 1984 and Kangchenjunga in 1987, where he died on descent, aged 37.
1957 William (Billy) Pierson, American climber, who ascended Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 1994, Cho Oyu in 1997, Makalu in 1999 and K2 in 2000.
1958 Joan Cardona, Spanish Catalan climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1993, Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 2002 and Everest in 2006.
1958 Bruce Herrod, British climber, who ascended Everest in 1996, where he died on descent, aged 37.
1959 Zuzana Hofmannová, Czech lady climber, who ascended Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 2004, Manaslu RP in 2006, Cho Oyu in 2009 and Broad Peak in 2012, where she died on descent, aged 53.
1960 Vladislav Moroz, Russian climber, who ascended Everest in 2016.
1962 Philippe Arvis, French climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1995, Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 1998 and Everest in 2002.
1963 Xu Hong-Li, Chinese climber, who ascended Everest in 2021.
1964 Robert Flemming, British climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2013.
1966 Johannes Schöllhuber, Austrian climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2004.
1970 Yoji Shimoma, Japanese climber, who ascended Dhaulagiri I in 1998.
1970 Gu Man-Li, Chinese lady climber, who ascended Manaslu M in 2024.
1974 Darren Paul Shepherd, Australian climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2017.
1975 Lhakpa Tshering IV, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest eight times (2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016 and 2019), Annapurna I in 2002, Lhotse four times (2002, 2013, 2019 and 2024), Cho Oyu twice (2007 and 2019), Manaslu RP twice (2008 and 2009) and Manaslu M twice (2022 and 2024).
1975 Ram Bahadur Mall, Indian climber, who ascended Everest in 2007 and Makalu in 2019.
1976 Matthew Lee Walker, American climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2021.
1981 Thomas (Tom) Kowpak, Australian climber, who ascended Everest in 2012.
1981 Pedro Queiros Clemente, Portuguese climber, who ascended Everest in 2022.
1984 Ang Pasang VIII, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest seven times (2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2023 and 2024), Cho Oyu three times (2013, 2014 and 2016), Manaslu RP in 2017, K2 in 2018 and Manaslu M in 2023.
1985 Sambhaji Narayan Gurav, Indian climber, who ascended Everest in 2021.
1986 Lhakpa Dorje (b), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Dhaulagiri I in 2023.
1991 Dukchung Lama Bhote, Nepalese Bhutia climber, who ascended Everest twice (2017 and 2024), Manaslu RP twice (2018 and 2021) and Manaslu M in 2024.
1992 Arvind Raturi, Indian climber, who ascended Everest in 2013.
1993 Gyalbo Tamang, Nepalese climber, who ascended Everest three times (2018, 2019 and 2024).
1997 Wangja Bhote, Nepalese Bhutia climber, who ascended Everest three times (2019, 2023 and 2024) and Manaslu M twice (2023 and 2024).

Gone on this day

1937 In one of the biggest catastrophes on an 8000er an avalanche on Nanga Parbat buried 16 men of a German expedition. The victims were : German climbers Karl Wien (leader), Adolf Göttner (only 21 years young), Hans Hartmann, Günther Hepp, Peter Müllritter and Martin Pfeffer, Austrian climber Rupert (Pert) Fankhauser and Indian Sherpa climbers Pasang Norbu, Chong Karma, Karmi, Gyaljen Monjo, Mingma Tshering, Nima Tshering I, Nima Tshering II, Ang Tshering II and Tigmay.
1965 Willi Gustav Rickmer-Rickmers, German pioneer, who was part of the expedition to Pik Lenina in 1928, that succeeded in the first ascent of this mountain, died, aged 92.
1990 Bruno Gouvy, French climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1988, where he was the first climber, who descended by snowboard. He died during the attempt to snowboard down from the Green Needle near Mont Blanc, aged 27.
2016 Nicholas Bayard (Nick) Clinch, American pioneer, who participated in the first ascent of Masherbrum (7821 m) in 1960 and was the leader of the successful expedition to Gasherbrum I in 1958. He also was the leader of the expedition that first climbed Mount Vinson (4892 m), Mount Tyree (4852 m), Mount Shinn (4660 m) and Mount Gardner (4573 m) in the Sentinel Range of Antarctica in 1966/1967. In addition he was the leader of the expedition that first climbed Ulugh Muztagh (6973 m) in the Kunlun Shan in 1985. He died on this day, aged 85.