A dream come true: May, 23, 2001. Actually I should be touched. Erich Gatt and I are shaking hands. We are smiling – we have just reached the top of the world. At this moment nobody- except for god – is able to look down on us.
So many years I was dreaming of this moment and how it would feel and read an endless number of books about the giants of the Himalaya. In the deathzone. Your thoughts slow, your legs tough – but I don´t feel like that. The oxygen mask gives me power. I feel good, better than expected. But we have to climb down to the base camp, having only reached half of our target.
Prayer´s flags are blowing in the wind, the valleys are full of fog – you can see many of the highest mountains in the world. It´s beautiful here, but breathtaking? NO.
By now, the rationality is winning – the easement may come to my mind in some days. I do enjoy the moment – but quietly. Erich puts the release of the camera, some pictures have to be taken.“One step to my side, then you are in Nepal. Here it´s more beautiful!” a sherpa wants us to know. The top of the Mount Everest is the exact border between Nepal and China.
We have already been on the peak for 20 minutes.
First conquering:
Sir Edmund Hillary (Neuseeland), Tenzing Norgay (Nepal) on Mai 29th 1953
Successful climbs: 3.680
First woman on the top:
Junko Tabei (Japan) , Mai 16th 1975
First conquer of the peak without an oxygen mask:
Peter Habeler (Austria) und Reinhold Messner (Italy), on May 8 th 1978, 1980 (without oxygen mask)
Fastest run up the mountain:
Sherpa Pemba Dorjee, from base camp to the top in 8h:10 min.
Christian Stangl, from base camp to the top (northern route) in 16 h, 42 min.(2006)
Longest stand on the top:
Babu Chiri Sherpa (Nepal), 21 hours, 30 min. (1999)
Youngest conquerer of the peak:
Temba Tsheri (Nepal), May 22nd 2001, at the age of 15
Oldest conquerer of the peak:
Yuichiro Miura (Japan), May 2003 at the age of 70.
Fatalities: 208
Biggest crowd on top of the world:
155 people in May 22nd ,2003
Austrian´s on the Top
- Horst Bergmann: 03.05.1978
- Wolfgang Nairz: 03.05.1978
- Robert Schauer: 03.05.1978 / 23.05.1996 / 17.05.2004
- Peter Habeler: 08.05.1978
- Oswald Ölz: 11-05.1978
- Franz Oppurg: 14.05.1978
- Kurt Diemberger: 15.10.1978
- Sepp Hinding: 14.05.1995
- Heinz Rockenbauer: 26.05.1998
- Theo Fritsche: 22.05.2001
- Stefan Gatt: 22.05.2001
- Erich Gatt: 23.05.2001
- Wolfgang Fasching: 23.05.2001
- Fritz Klausner: 17.05.2004
- Paul Koller: 17.05.2004
- Markus Noichl: 17.05.2004
- Gerfried Göschl: 01.06.2005
- Johann Goger: 02.06.2005
- Walter Laserer: 18.05.2006
- Gerhard Winkler: 20.05.2006
- Christian Stangl: 25.05.2006
- Herbert Wolf: 21.05.2007
(Stand: Februar 2008)
