21 August

Born on this day

1906 André Roch, Swiss pioneer, who achieved first ascents of Baltoro Kangri V (c. 7275 m) in 1934, Dunagiri (7066 m) in 1939 and Satopanth (7075 m) in 1947. He died in 2002, aged 96.
1933 Michael (Michel) Dacher, German climber, who ascended Yalung Kang in 1975, Lhotse in 1977, K2 in 1979, Shisha Pangma in 1980, Gasherbrum I in 1982, Cho Oyu in 1983, Manaslu M in 1984, Nanga Parbat in 1985, Broad Peak in 1986 and Gasherbrum II in 1987. He died in 1994, aged 61.
1953 Martin Gablík, Slovak climber, who ascended Makalu in 2002, Nanga Parbat in 2007 and Cho Oyu in 2011.
1954 Vladimir Karatayev, Russian climber, who ascended Kangchenjunga South-, Central- and Main-Peaks in 1989 and Lhotse in 1990.
1958 Michael Kropf, American climber, who ascended Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 1999.
1958 François Matter, French climber, who ascended Everest in 2011 and Manaslu RP in 2018.
1959 Keiko Tsubosa, Japanese lady climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1997.
1961 Wayne Alexander, climber from New Zealand, who ascended Everest in 2006.
1963 Gabriel Denamur, Belgian climber, who ascended Annapurna I in 1991, where he died on descent, aged 28.
1963 Paolo Rabbia, Italian climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2006.
1964 Gao Wen-Rong, Chinese climber, who ascended Everest in 2018.
1967 Yves Anciaux, French climber, who ascended Gasherbrum II in 1998 and Everest in 2001.
1968 Hans Bruni, Swiss climber, who ascended Shisha Pangma in 2004.
1968 Thomas Zwahlen, Swiss climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1999 and Everest in 2003.
1970 Soo Mei Ying (Joanne), Singaporean lady climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2007 and Everest in 2009.
1972 Muktu Lhakpa, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest eight times (1996, 2006, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022), K2 three times (2004, 2012 and 2023), Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 2005, Dhaulagiri I in 2008, Manaslu RP four times (2008, 2010, 2017 and 2019), Lhotse in 2011, Kangchenjunga in 2014. Cho Oyu in 2016 and Makalu in 2025.
1972 Dawa Nurbu II, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I in 2003, Everest twice (2004 and 2005) and Gasherbrum I again in 2005, where he died on descent, aged 32.
1973 Ken Noguchi, Japanese climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1996, Everest twice (1999 and 2007) and Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 2005. He also finished the Kosciuszko-version of the Seven Summits in 1999.
1973 Eduard (Edu) Sánchez II, Spanish Catalan climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2002.
1973 Stephen Backshall, British climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2006.
1973 Walter Pichler, Austrian climber, who ascended Everest in 2025.
1974 Eloi Callado, Spanish Catalan climber, who ascended Shisha Pangma West-Peak (7966 m) by a difficult new route in 2000.
1981 Lhakpa Nuru IX, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest six times (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2019) and Lhotse in 2009.
1981 Lhakpa Rinji I, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest three times (2016, 2017 and 2018).
1981 Phujung Lama, Nepalese climber, who ascended Everest in 2021.
1982 Ang Kami IV, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest five times (2004, 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2016) and Lhotse in 2008.
1983 Song Xiao-Chen, Chinese climber, who ascended Manaslu M twice (2023 and 2024) and Everest in 2025.
1984 Ang Kaji I (Ang Kazi), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest five times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012).
1985 Pemba Nuru (a), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Kangchenjunga in 2018.
1987 Dawa Gyalzen III (Dawa Gyaljen), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest four times (twice in 2010, 2012 and 2013) and Manaslu RP in 2013.
1988 Lucía López, Spanish Murcian lady climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2011.
1988 Ngangba, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest in 2019, Makalu twice (2022 and 2023) and Dhaulagiri I in 2023.
1989 Matthew Kevin Le Voi, British climber, who ascended Manaslu M in 2024.
1991 Pemba V, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest five times (2012, 2013, 2021, 2022 and 2023), Lhotse and Manaslu RP twice (2018 and 2019) and Broad Peak in 2022.
1991 Devi Prasad Neupane, Nepalese climber, who ascended Everest in 2022.
1992 Tseng Ko-Erh (Grace), Taiwanese lady climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2019, Everest twice (2021 and 2025), Lhotse and Dhaulagiri I in 2021, Annapurna I, Makalu, Nanga Parbat, K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and Manaslu M in 2022, Kangchenjunga and Cho Oyu in 2023 and Shisha Pangma in 2024, where she finished the 14 8K Main-Peaks.
1993 Dharche Bhote, Nepalese climber, who ascended Everest and Manaslu M in 2025.
1994 Kami Dorje (Kamdorji), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest seven times (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025), K2 three times (2018, 2021 and 2022), Lhotse twice (2024 and 2026) and Nuptse and Cho Oyu in 2024.
1998 Nima Nuru VI, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest three times (2023, 2024 and 2025) and Lhotse in 2024.
2002 Nang Pemba, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Makalu and Manaslu M in 2023 and Annapurna I twice (2025 and 2026).
2003 Dawa Chhiring III, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest in 2022, Lhotse twice (2023 and 2024), Manaslu M twice (2023 and 2024), Annapurna I in 2025 and Dhaulagiri I in 2026.
2003 Singi Tamang, Nepalese climber, who ascended Everest in 2025.
2006 Xu Zhuo-Yuan, Chinese lady climber, who ascended Everest in 2023 and Cho Oyu in 2025.

First ascents on this day

1963 Noshaq East-Peak (c. 7480 m) by an Austrian party.
1968 Pechus Zom (6514 m) by another Austrian party.
1970 Lalana (6136 m) by an Indian party.
1971 Chongra I (6830 m) by a Japanese party.
1996 Bobogawu (6566 m) by a Czech-Swiss party.
2013 Chamshen Kangri (7017 m officially, but about 6975 m more likely acc. to SRTM1 data) by an Indo-British party.

Gone on this day

2000 Andrzej Maria (Lider) Zawada, Polish pioneer, who was famous for his first ascent of Kunyang Chhish (7852 m) in 1971 and for leading two historical expeditions to Everest in 1980, the first winter ascent and the first ascent of the South Pillar, died, aged 72.
2005 Marcus Schmuck, Austrian pioneer, who participated in the first ascent of Broad Peak in 1957, died, aged 80.
2005 Sergei Zuev, Russian climber, who ascended Lhotse in 1997, died on Jengish Chokusu (7439 m), aged 48.