17 January

Born on this day

1943 Hall Wendel, American climber, who ascended Everest in 1994, where he finished the Kosciuszko-version of the Seven Summits. Later that year he also finished the Carstensz-version.
1945 Pierre Humblet, Belgian free climber.
1945 Bruno Klausbruckner, Austrian climber, who ascended Lhotse in 1979.
1962 Aleksandr Ovchinnikov, Russian climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2006.
1962 Shin Jang-Seop, Korean climber, who ascended Everest in 2006.
1966 Wei Jing, Chinese lady climber, who ascended Everest twice (2011 and 2013).
1969 Marianne Chapuisat, Swiss lady climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in winter 1993 (first winter ascent by a woman), Gasherbrum II and Gasherbrum I in 2003 and Nanga Parbat in 2005.
1970 Kami Rita I (aka Thapke), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest thirty-one times (1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, twice in 2009, twice in 2010, 2012, in 2013 twice, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 twice, 2021, 2022, twice in 2023, in 2024 twice and 2025), Cho Oyu eight times (2001, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016), Lhotse in 2011, K2 in 2014, Manaslu RP three times (2017, 2018 and 2020) and Manaslu M in 2023.
1970 Pemba Nuru V, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2000 and Everest in 2013.
1971 Lhakpa Tshering III, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest four times (2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003) and Cho Oyu in 2005. He died in 2006 on Everest, aged 35.
1972 Sophia Marie Danenberg, American lady climber, who ascended Everest in 2006.
1972 Nawang Lhakpa, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest four times (2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009).
1972 Feng Xiao-Jun, Chinese climber, who ascended Everest in 2025.
1973 Li Jian-Min, Chinese climber, who ascended Everest in 2018.
1973 Kami (a), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Annapurna I in 2021.
1974 Lama Kancha, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2004.
1975 Damir Molgachev, Kazakh climber, who ascended Gasherbrum I and II in 2001 and Kangchenjunga in 2002.
1977 Pemba Nuru III, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest seven times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012), Cho Oyu in 2006 and Manaslu RP in 2013.
1977 Phura Kancha, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest fourteen times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, twice in 2010, 2012, in 2013 twice, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022), Cho Oyu four times (2006, 2009, 2013 and 2014) and K2 in 2014.
1977 Pemba IX, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Makalu in 2019, Everest three times (2021, 2024 and 2025), Kangchenjunga in 2023 and Nanga Parbat in 2024.
1980 Andrew Eggleston, British climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2010.
1981 Francis Atkinson, British climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2011.
1982 Kavita Budathoki, Indian lady climber, who ascended Everest in 2009.
1982 Daciana-Elena Leonte, Romanian lady climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2019.
1984 Doma Chhiri, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest five times (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2019) and Manaslu RP in 2021.
1987 Dawa Lama I, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Kangchenjunga in 2018 and Everest and Broad Peak in 2019.
1989 Chong Wang-Hong, Chinese climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 2018.
1996 Pastemba, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest in 2024, Lhotse twice (2024 and 2025), Cho Oyu in 2024 and Manaslu M in 2025.

Gone on this day

1977 Dougal Haston, British (Scottish) climber, who participated in two major first ascents of 8000er faces, Annapurna I South Face in 1970 and Everest SW Face in 1975. He died in the Alps, aged 36.
2020 Gregor (Grega) Lačen, Slovenian climber, who ascended Dhaulagiri I in 1998 and Everest in 2000. He died by a fall on this day, aged 43.