Renowned Russian mountaineer Denis Urubko and his spouse Maria Cardell.
In a noteworthy and uncommon achievement in contemporary high-altitude mountaineering, renowned Russian mountaineer Denis Urubko and his spouse Maria Cardell successfully ascended Nanga Parbat (8,126m), finishing the ascent in alpine fashion and creating a new route via the Diamir Face.
Without using additional oxygen, the couple made their quick ascent of the mountain, dubbed the “Killer Mountain,” after arriving at base camp on Saturday.
According to Russian media, the two ascended quickly and light, adhering to traditional alpine principles that prohibit the use of
oxygen, fixed ropes, or porters.
This is Urubko’s 28th eight-thousand climb; he has already established seven new routes and made two first winter ascents, Makalu (2009) and Gasherbrum II (2011). Additionally, he has climbed all 14 of the highest peaks in the world without the use of oxygen bottles.
When Urubko soloed a new line on Gasherbrum II in 2019, it was the last time he opened a new alpine-style route on an 8,000-meter summit. He gave that route the name “Honeymoon” in honor of Maria Cardell, who was supposed to climb but was forced to stay at base camp because of a back injury.
K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II are the other five 8,000-meter peaks in Pakistan; Nanga Parbat, in the Himalayas, is the westernmost of these peaks. Because of its precipitous cliffs and terrible past, Nanga Parbat has been dubbed “Killer Mountain.”
Five Pakistanis are among the minimum of 24 climbers who have successfully ascended the peak so far in the 2025 climbing season.
The daring ascent by Urubko and Cardell not only adds a significant new route to Nanga Parbat’s climbing history, but it also demonstrates their ongoing status as one of the world’s most successful climbing teams.
Source: DAWN News — “Russian couple summits Nanga Parbat without additional oxygen,” July 13, 2025