Ralf Dujmovits

Ralf Dujmovits is up to every Himalayan trick. For the last 25 years Germany’s most successful high altitude climber has been on the way on the highest mountains of the world. For him Mount Everest (the first ascent of the mountain 60 years ago will be celebrated in May) is an old acquaintance. In 1992 Ralf stood on the summit, 8850 meters high, in bad weather conditions. Above the South Col he used supplementary oxygen. It was the only one of the fourteen 8000-meter-peaks Ralf climbed with an oxygen-mask. The mountaineer from Bühl in the south of Germany feels this fact as a flaw that he wants to eliminate. In 2005, 2010 and 2012 Ralf tried to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen, three times he failed. But still he is flirting with another attempt. So it’s not surprising that Ralf talked about climbing „by fair means” – when I asked him for his statements for my Everest-60-pinboards (you can read and hear his words on the right side of the blog). 

As far as possible not on the normal route 

„Mount Everest has not changed. It’s the same big pile of stone, but also simply the highest mountain on earth”, Ralf said. „This explains the attractiveness for an incredible number of people and leads to the key issue: The mountain should be climbed by fair means.” That means without high porters, without fixed ropes, without supplementary oxygen and – according to Ralf – „as far as possible not on the normal routes”. Ralf also described a „light” version of climbing by fair means: “People who use supplementary oxygen should do this only above theSouth Coland should afterwards report about it honestly.” Exactly like he did in 1992. 

Not without experience

When he tried Everest last in spring 2012, Ralf was shocked looking at the long queue of climbers on the normal route and about the fact, that many of these tried their luck without having any climbing experience. For the 60th anniversary of the first ascent Ralf wishes Mount Everest, „that less people try to climb this mountain who actually do not belong there – and more who are able to make it on their own”. In 2013 Ralf will not visit Chomolungma. Together with his wife Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner he plans to climb in the mountains of Alaska.