Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner’s interest in mountain climbing developed at a very young age. It was Reverend Dr. Erich Tischler, a youth group leader in her hometown of Spital am Pyhrn, Upper Austria, who introduced her to the fascinating world of mountains. After the dominical church service, he would take Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner along on numerous tours to the mountains surrounding her hometown. At the age of 13, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner ventured on her first easy climbing tours at the local „Sturzhahn“, which sparked off her enthusiasm for climbing and paved the road to alpinism. During the following years, she never skipped an opportunity to go climbing. Ski, ice and climbing tours became her main fields of interest, which she enjoyed besides completing her nurse training in Upper Austria and Vienna.

Her greatest dream – climbing an eight thousand peak – came true at the age of 23, when she succeeded in climbing the fore summit of Broad Peak in Pakistan, with a height of 8.027m. During the following years, she put all money earned as a nurse into different trekking and climbing expeditions to the Himalaya. After climbing the Nanga Parbat – her fifth eight thousand peak – in 2003, she decided to finally become a professional mountain climber. Today, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner has climbed all fourteen main peaks in the eight thousand series as well as two fore summits higher than eight thousand metres.

Her passion, however, are not solely the high mountains of the Himalaya Massive. It’s just as much the people, as well as their foreign culture and religion that touch and enchant her.

Expeditions:

2011 August – K2 China/Pakistan (8,611 m, via North Pillar)

2010 April/May – Everest Tibet (via North-East Ridge to summit)

2009 July/August -K2 Pakistan(via Cesen Route to 8,300m)

2009 May – Lhotse, Nepal(8.516 m)

2008 May – Dhaulagiri INepal(8.167 m)

2007 July/August – K2 Pakistan(via Cesen Route to 8,100m)

2007 July/August – Broad PeakPakistan (8,047m)

2007 April/May – Dhaulagiri INepal(Abandoned at 7,400m)

2006 Mai- Lhotse Nepal(Abandoned at 8,400m)

2006 April / May – KangchenjungaNepal(8,595 m, South-West Ridge)

2005 June/July – Gasherbrum IIPakistan (8035 m, SW Ridge)

2005 May/June – EverestTibet(Climb abandoned due to rescue)

2005 May- Shisha PangmaTibet(8,013m, via South Face)

2004 July – Gasherbrum IPakistan (8,068 , via Japanese Couloir)

2004 May – Annapurna I Nepal(8,091m, via French Route)

2004 April – Xifeng PeakTibet(7,221m)

2003 June – Nanga ParbatPakistan (8,125m, via Diamir Route)

2003 April/May – KangchenjungaNepal(to 7,200m, North Ridge)

2002 April/ May – ManasluNepal(8,163m)

2001 April/May – Makalu Nepal(8,463m)

2000 April/ May – Shisha Panama Tibet(Central Summit, 8,008m)

1999 Juni – AlpamayoPeru(5,947m, Ferrari-Route )

1998 April/ May – Cho OyuNepal/Tibet(8,201 m)

1997 October – Ama DablamNepal(6,858 mSW Ridge)

1995 May – Muztagh Ata, China(to 6,600 m)

1994 June/July – Broad PeakPakistan (False Summit 8,027 m)

In between her big expeditions, the professional mountaineer goes climbing, ice climbing and ski touring in the Alps.