Barbara Hirschbichler

Barbara Hirschbichler was born on June 25, 1959, in Bad Reichenhall, a small town in southern Bavaria, Germany. She is an all-round mountaineer who has been successful in various fields of mountain sports: in alpine rock and ice climbing, sport climbing, bouldering, high-altitude mountaineering, ski mountaineering, trail running, and road cycling.

She was the first German woman to successfully climb routes graded 8a (5.13b), 8a+ (5.13c), and eventually 8b (5.13d). At the Sport Climbing World Championships in Frankfurt, she placed 10th as the best German competitor. She climbed many of the most difficult and challenging climbing routes in the Alps and completed winter ascents of some major north faces.

She reached the summit of Cho Oyu (8201m) and Gasherbrum II (8035m), stood on the fore-summit of Broad Peak (8037m), and reached the summit ridge of Dhaulagiri (8167m). In the Tien Shan, she successfully climbed Khan Tengri (7010m). Additionally, she participated in expeditions to Mount Everest, Shishapangma, and Nanga Parbat, where she was forced to turn back due to adverse weather conditions.

From 2001 to 2004, she took unpaid leave from her teaching job to focus on mountaineering and the association she founded. During these three years, she lived in the Himalayas and Karakoram, gaining intimate knowledge of the mountains and valleys as well as of life, culture, languages, and problems of the regions visited. Through her marriage to Ghulam Rasool in 2002, she gained access to areas generally off-limits to foreigners.

Her father, Albert Hirschbichler, died in 1959 during an expedition to Batura I (7795m) in the Hunza Valley in the Karakoram – presumably after the first ascent. Her first independent project (in 2002) was a water pipeline at the foot of the mountain where her father is still buried under the ice. The pipeline was necessary to irrigate the grazing pastures of the village of Passu and thus maintain the livelihoods of its residents. Barbara Hirschbichler was made an honorary citizen of Passu in 2003.

From 1991 until her retirement in 2023, she taught English and Geography at Karlsgymnasium, a high school/college in Bad Reichenhall. She remains closely connected to the school in many ways.

Barbara Hirschbichler is still an enthusiastic mountaineer, often venturing off the beaten paths and usually travelling alone, especially in the Alps, Himalayas, Karakoram, Rocky Mountains, and Sierra Nevada. When not in the mountains, she lives in a farmhouse in Schönau, a village near the famous Königssee, in south-eastern Bavaria.

Climbing Achievements

1981,Spring:Haute Route, including ski ascent of Mont Blanc

Summer: Matterhorn, Finsteraarhorn, Bianco Ridge, Piz-Palü Traverse, Mont

Blanc Traverse, Monte Rosa, and many other 4000 m peaks in the western part of the Alps

Many classic hard climbs in the eastern part of the Alps

1982-1992: Together with Martin Leinauer free ascents of many hard routes in the Alps: Pumprisse (Wilder Kaiser), Locker vom Hocker (Schüsselkar), Moderne Zeiten (Marmolada), Blaue Lagune (Wendenstöcke), Grand Dru west face (“American Direct”), Fou south face, Petit Dru south-west pillar (“Bonatti Pillar”)”, and many more

1985: With Martin Leinauer in the Andes (Cordillera Blanca). Alpine-style ascents of Alpamayo south face, Huascaran, Artesonraju, Quitaraju, Chopicalqui and others

1989: Mescalito, 8a (Karlstein)

1990: 10th place at the sports climbing World Championship (best German competitor)

Afterward, withdrawal from competition climbing

1994: White Winds, 8a+ (Schleierwasserfall)

1994-1998: Several routes graded 8a/8a+, e.g. Ex Express (8a, Arco),

Pole Position (8a, Erto), Alaska Kid (8a, Voralpsee), Couleur du Vent (8a, Ceüse)

1995: Pulce d`Aqua, 8b (Schleierwasserfall)

Weg durch den Fisch (Marmolada south face) with Pietro dal Pra

1997/98, Winter: Königsspitze north face, Ortler north face, Großglockner north face, Blaueis north ridge

1998: Ascent of Cho Oyu (8201m), with Alexander Huber (without Sherpa support)

Ascent of Khan Tangri (7010m) in the Tien Shan

2000: Attempt on Mount Everest north ridge, without oxygen; no summit due to bad weather

Ascent of Gasherbrum II (8035m)

2001, Summer: Chillinji Trek, solo ascents of unnamed mountains in Hunza

Autumn: Dhaulagiri (8167m), together with Sepp Aregger (without Sherpa support); near, but not on main summit due to dense fog

2002: Attempt on Shishapangma (8027m) with skis; no summit due to avalanche risk

Attempt on Broad Peak (8051m), no summit due to huge amounts of fresh snow

2003: Ascent of the fore-summit of Broad Peak (ca 8010 m) together with Ghulam Rasool

2004: Attempt on Nanga Parbat (8125m); expedition called off as high camp was destroyed by avalanche

Afterward withdrawal from high altitude climbing

2008: Cycling the Karakorum Highway from Gilgit to the Kunjerab Pass, together with her brother Albert, who rode by handbike

2005 – 2024: Karakoram; ascents of remote and unnamed summits between 5000 und 6000 m, mostly first ascents; often solo

2011 – 2024: Cycling and mountaineering in the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada; always for several months on end and alone

1980 – 2024: Cycling on mountain roads and passes, especially in the French Alps, but also in the rest of the Alps, on Teneriffa, on Madeira and in the USA (see above)