24 February

Born on this day

1920 Ernst (Ere) Reiss, Swiss pioneer, who ascended Lhotse in 1956 (first ascent). He died in 2010, aged 90.
1943 Hristo Prodanov, Bulgarian climber, who ascended Lhotse in 1981 and Everest in 1984, where he died on descent, aged 41.
1943 Masaaki Hatakeyama, Japanese climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1995.
1946 Bogdan Brakus, Croatian climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1986.
1948 Christopher M. (Kris) Kopczynski, American climber, who ascended Everest in 1981 and Cho Oyu in 2004. He also finished the Kosciuszko-version of the Seven Summits in 1991 and the Carstensz-version in 1994.
1954 Juan Ignacio (Atxo) Apellaniz, Spanish Basque climber, who ascended Cho Oyu twice (1985 and 1990), Gasherbrum II in 1987, Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 1990, Nanga Parbat in 1992 and K2 in 1994, where he died on descent, aged 40.
1958 Yuri Baikovski, Russian climber, who ascended Lhotse in 2000.
1959 Ellen Miller, American lady climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2000, Everest twice (2001 and 2002), Lhotse in 2009 and Manaslu RP in 2010.
1964 François-Guy Thivierge, Canadian climber, who ascended Everest in 2008. He also finished the Carstensz- and Kosciuszko-versions of the Seven Summits in 2009.
1966 Lee In, Korean climber, who ascended Everest twice (1997 and 2002).
1972 Melissa Rachel Bowerman, British lady climber, who ascended Everest in 2013.
1973 Iban Ciriza, Spanish Basque climber, who ascended Broad Peak in 2007.
1973 Gu Xin, Chinese climber, who ascended Manaslu in 2018.
1974 Han Byung-Yup, Korean climber, who ascended Lhotse in 2003.
1975 Dawa Geljen IV, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest in 2024.
1981 Pasang Kaji, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2007, Manaslu in 2008 and Everest six times (2009, 2010, 2012. 2019, 2021 and 2022).
1983 Ki Dorjee, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest three times (2013, 2016 and 2017) and Manaslu RP in 2018.
1984 Lakpa Chhiring, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Lhotse twice (2024 and 2025) and Manaslu M in 2024.
1985 Sauraj Jhingan, Indian climber, who ascended Everest in 2018.
1985 Dawa Jangbu IV, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest three times (2019, 2023 and 2024) and Lhotse and Manaslu M in 2024.
1987 Pemba Chhiri III (Pema Chhiri), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Dhaulagiri I twice (2010 and 2011), Everest eight times (2013, 2017, 2019, in 2023 twice, in 2024 twice and 2025), Manaslu RP in 2019, K2 three times (2022, 2024 and 2025), Lhotse in 2023 and Manaslu M three times (2023, 2024 and 2025).
1988 Nima Lhaten Lama, Nepalese climber, who ascended Everest twice (2016 and 2019).
1989 Dendi X, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest in 2025.
1990 Sven Kortmann, German climber, who ascended Gasherbrum I in 2019.
1990 Yin Yun-Feng, Chinese climber, who ascended Everest in 2025.
1991 Mingma Sona I, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest six times (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2025) and Manaslu M in 2024.
1992 Sonam Phuntsok, Indian climber, who ascended Everest in 2017.
1994 Manish Maharjan, Nepalese climber, who ascended Everest and Manaslu M in 2022 and Annapurna I in 2024.
1998 Dawa Nurbu IV, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest four times (in 2019 twice and in 2021 and 2025), Manaslu RP in 2021, Annapurna I twice (2022 and 2023), Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and K2 in 2022, Dhaulagiri I in 2023, Gasherbrum II three times (in 2023 twice and in 2024), Manaslu M and Cho Oyu in 2023 and Makalu in 2024.

First ascents on this day

1937 Nevado Tres Cruces Central (6629 m) by a Polish party.
1988 Kangtö I (aka Kanggardo, 7060 m) by a Japanese party.

Gone on this day

2019 Daniele Nardi, Italian climber, who ascended Everest in 2004, Shisha Pangma Central-Peak in 2005, K2 in 2007 and Nanga Parbat and Broad Peak in 2008. He attempted Nanga Parbat again in winter 2019. He went missing since that day. He was 42 years old.
2019 Tom Ballard, British climber, son of Alison Hargreaves, who attempted Nanga Parbat in winter 2019. He went missing since that day. He was 30 years old.