Nanga Parbat for Italians Nardi and Panzeri

On Saturday 21 June at 14.14 Italian time Daniele Nardi and Mario Panzeri reached the summit of Nanga Parbat. For 32-year-old Nardi this is the 7th 8000m peak, the eighth for 43-year-old Panzeri. After acclimatising the duo started to operate on the mountain proper from 3 June onwards, carrying out a series of fast ascents to the high camps prior to the decisive summit push.

On 3 June the two mountaineers deposited gear at 6800m which was to serve as their future Camp 3. After a brief rest they returned on 8 June to Camp 2 at 6047m where they sat out a storm through the night. The next day they climbed up to Camp 3, pitched the tent and spent a second night on the mountain. Despite worsening conditions the climbed to Camp 4 at 7150m after having negotiated the delicate traverse at 7000m high above the Bahzin glacier.   

On Saturday 21 June they climbed the decisive final 1000m to the summit, which Panzeri and Nardi reached at 14.14 together with 4 other mountaineers belonging to different expeditions. After a difficult descent to Camp 4 they spent their fourth night on the mountain, before returning directly to Base Camp the next day. Daniele Nardi has dedicated this summit to Stefano Zavka, his climbing companion who disappeared last year on K2.