31 October

Born on this day

1941 Walter Kuch, German climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1995.
1943 Jan Kiełkowski, Polish geologist, climber and author, who published several High Asian guidebooks. He died in 2020, aged 76.
1946 André Tremouliere, French climber, who ascended Nanga Parbat in 1999.
1948 Anna Okopińska, Polish lady climber, who ascended Gasherbrum II in 1975.
1949 Adelbert Albrecht, German climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1991.
1953 Karl Wolfgang Flock, German climber, who ascended Everest in 2006. He also finished the Carstensz-version of the Seven Summits in 2008.
1956 Walter Körber, German climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1994.
1956 Michael James O'Donnell, American climber, who ascended Everest in 2001 and Cho Oyu in 2004.
1959 Edin Alikalfić, Croatian climber, who ascended Ngozumpa Kang II (7743 m) in 1987.
1961 Lim Sim Beow, Australian climber, who ascended Everest in 2012.
1963 Neil Laughton, British climber, who ascended Everest in 1998. He finished the Carstensz- and Kosciuszko-versions of the Seven Summits in 1999 as well.
1963 Martin Arthur Rindahl, American climber, who ascended Everest in 2011.
1964 Kazuya Mino, Japanese climber, who ascended Broad Peak in 1993.
1964 Geoffrey (Geoff) Chambers, British climber, who ascended Everest in 2011.
1968 Shafkhat Gataoulin, Kazakh climber, who ascended Manaslu RP in 1995 and Cho Oyu twice during eight days in 1996.
1968 François Loubert, Canadian climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1998.
1968 Leslie Joan Gullahorn Olson, American lady climber, who ascended Everest in 2016.
1970 Luis-Miguel López, Spanish Madrilian climber, who ascended Gasherbrum I in 1995, Kangchenjunga in 2014, Annapurna I in 2016 and K2 in 2023.
1970 Robert Michael Gatt, Maltese climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 2009 and Everest in 2010.
1972 Didrik Johnck, American climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1997 and Everest in 2001.
1972 Steeve Juvet, Swiss climber, who ascended Cho Oyu in 1999.
1972 Graham M. Austin, Australian climber, who ascended Everest in 2011.
1974 Zhu Chun-Mei, Chinese lady climber, who ascended Everest in 2023.
1975 Dawa Tenzin (Dawa Tenji), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest fourteen times (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, twice in 2024 and twice in 2025), Cho Oyu twice (2006 and 2007), Kangchenjunga and Manaslu RP twice (2009 and 2021), Dhaulagiri I twice (2010/? and 2011), Lhotse twice (2019 and 2023), K2 (first winter ascent) and Manaslu M three times (2021, 2023 and 2024).
1976 Wu Jian-Gang, Chinese climber, who ascended Everest in 2013.
1978 Mohammad Nasiri Ghajor, Iranian climber, who ascended Broad Peak in 2008.
1979 Timothy L. Clark, British climber, who ascended Everest in 2007.
1985 Ankur Rawat, Indian climber, who ascended Everest in 2016 and Makalu in 2019.
1985 Mingmar (a), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Kangchenjunga in 2019.
1986 Sun Yi-Quan, Chinese climber, who ascended Everest four times (2013, 2018 (fd), 2019 and 2023).
1989 Pemba Tamang II, Nepalese climber, who ascended Everest three times (2019, 2022 and 2024), Annapurna I in 2021 and Manaslu M twice (2023 and 2024).
1991 Benjamin Hilke Knot, Dutch climber, who ascended Everest in 2021.
1997 Phuri Kitar, Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Everest three times (2022, 2023 and 2024), K2 twice (2023 and 2025) and Manaslu M twice (2023 and 2024).
1997 Dawa Dorchi (a), Nepalese Sherpa climber, who ascended Dhaulagiri I in 2023.
1998 Dharche Bhote, Nepalese Bhutia climber, who ascended Everest in 2024.

First ascents on this day

1964 Bhulu Lhasa (6102 m) by a British party.
1982 Khatang (6790 m) by a Japanese party.
1982 Karyolung (6530 m) by a Japanese-Nepalese party.
2005 Kajaqiao (6447 m) by a British party.

Gone on this day

1981 Yasuji Kato, Japanese climber, who ascended Dhaulagiri I in 1978, died by a fall on Annapurna I South Face, aged 32.
1990 Dainius Makauskas, Lithuanian climber, who ascended Dhaulagiri I on this day, died on descent, aged 51.
1997 Janez Jeglič, Slovenian climber, who ascended Everest in 1990. He died by a fall after an ascent of Nuptse West-Peak II (7742 m), aged 36.
2017 Norman D. Hardie, pioneer from New Zealand, who ascended Kangchenjunga in 1955, died, aged 92.
2018 Harry Reginald Anthony (Tony) Streather, British pioneer, who ascended Tirich Mir in 1950 and Kangchenjunga in 1955, both of which were first ascents. He died on this day, aged 92.