2008 Annapurna I South Face Expedition and Iñaki Ochoa Rescue

Spain / Navarre🏔️ 12 Peaks

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza Seguín was born on May 29, 1967, in Pamplona, Navarre, Spain. Drawn to the Pyrenees in his youth, he took part in his first Himalayan expedition at age twenty-two on Kangchenjunga in 1990. Over the subsequent eighteen years, Ochoa completed more than thirty high-altitude Himalayan expeditions, summiting twelve 8,000-meter peaks—including Cho Oyu, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, Lhotse, Everest, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Makalu, K2, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, and Shishapangma—strictly without supplemental bottled oxygen. Ochoa was celebrated throughout the climbing community for his pure, honest alpine philosophy. He refused commercial fixed ropes, carried his own loads, and rejected modern commercial summit chasing. His humor, philosophical writings, and warm camaraderie made him one of the most beloved figures in Himalayan mountaineering. In May 2008, Ochoa launched a lightweight alpine attempt on the South Face of Annapurna I alongside Romanian climber Horia Colibășanu. High at Camp IV at 7,400 meters, Ochoa suffered a severe seizure, collapsing from high-altitude cerebral edema and pulmonary complications. Colibășanu refused to leave his side for days, sparking one of the most legendary international rescue operations in mountaineering history. Swiss soloist Ueli Steck and Austrian climber Simon Anthamatten sprinted up the mountain with medical supplies, while Denis Urubko, Don Bowie, and Russian climbers carried oxygen bottles up the lower flanks. Steck reached Ochoa and nursed him for two days, but despite extraordinary efforts, Ochoa passed away on May 23, 2008. In his memory, the SOS Himalaya foundation was established, building schools and hospitals for children across Nepal.