German Climber Dies After Fall on Nepal's Ama Dablam

A 57-year-old German mountaineer died after falling from Ama Dablam in Nepal's Khumbu region on Oct. 26, one day after reaching the mountain's 6,812-meter summit. Wolfgang Waschiczek disappeared from Camp III while preparing to descend, and rescuers later recovered his body at a lower altitude, according to trekking industry officials.

Waschiczek had spent Sunday night at Camp III, located at approximately 6,200 meters, after completing the summit climb with his guide, Sonam Lama. Gokul Thapa, managing director of Real Himalaya Nepal, told AFP that the climber's body was spotted near Camp II at approximately 4,600 meters on Monday morning.

Thapa estimated that Waschiczek fell about 1,500 meters, while a separate report from Gripped cited an estimate of 1,700 meters. The body was retrieved by helicopter during the afternoon and transported to Lukla before being flown to Kathmandu for a postmortem examination.

Thapa described the circumstances surrounding the disappearance, saying Lama had briefly left Waschiczek at the camp to return borrowed equipment. The guide had instructed the climber to remain in place while he was away.

"After a successful summit, he spent a night at Camp 3 on Sunday, and on Monday morning, his guide found him missing," said Gokul Thapa, head of the trekking company Real Himalaya.

According to Thapa, Lama returned within minutes but could no longer find Waschiczek at the designated location. Another Sherpa subsequently spotted the body at a lower camp, prompting the recovery operation.

Thapa said the climber's remains would be released to his relatives after the postmortem through the German embassy.

"Once the postmortem is done, the body will be handed over to his family members through the embassy," Thapa told AFP.

Thapa also confirmed that Waschiczek had previously visited Nepal in 2024 for a trekking trip.

"He had come to Nepal in 2024 for a trek, and his passing saddened us," he added.

Bodhraj Bhandari, managing director of Snowy Horizon Treks, provided additional details about the climber's final hours. He said Waschiczek and Lama had stayed at Camp III after borrowing a sleeping bag and other equipment from fellow climbers.

"The pair decided to stay at Camp III overnight after borrowing a sleeping bag and other gear from other climbers," Bhandari said.

Bhandari said the pair had planned to descend on Oct. 26. Lama left briefly to return the borrowed sleeping bag, while Waschiczek waited at the camp with his safety equipment.

"When Lama returned within less than five minutes, Wolfgang was not at the spot where he had been asked to wait with his safety gear," Bhandari said.

Bhandari also reported that Waschiczek was not wearing crampons when he disappeared. The available accounts did not establish the precise circumstances that caused the fall.

Ama Dablam, a technically demanding peak known for its steep faces and ridges, lies in Nepal's Khumbu region near Mount Everest. More than 300 climbers were attempting to reach its summit during the current climbing season, according to the reports.

The death was the first reported fatality on Ama Dablam this season. Two climbers, a 65-year-old French national and a 66-year-old South Korean national, died on the mountain in October 2025.

The latest incident follows other fatal mountaineering accidents in the Himalayas and surrounding ranges. Two Japanese climbers died on another peak in western Nepal the previous week, while separate incidents this year claimed the lives of climbers on Mount Everest and Mount Makalu in Nepal and Broad Peak in Pakistan.