Double Expedition amidst the "Shining Mountains"

The German mountaineering couple Alix von Melle (46) and Luis Stitzinger (49) from Füssen in the East Allgäu region are preparing for their next expedition adventure: Stitzinger and von Melle's goal this year is initially an attempt to make the first ascent of the seven-thousander Urdok Kangri II (7,082 m), an expedition organized by the expedition provider Amical alpin, with Stitzinger serving as the leader. Venturing into uncharted territory amidst the breathtaking scenery of the "Shining Mountains" in the Pakistani Karakoram Range. Following that, they plan to attempt the neighboring Gasherbrum I, also known as the "Hidden Peak." Standing at 8,068 meters, it is the third-highest Pakistani eight-thousander peak and the eleventh-highest mountain on Earth. It is also located in the Karakoram Range, on the border between the Pakistani Baltoro region and the Shaksgam region to the north, the westernmost Chinese province of Xinjiang. The Gasherbrum I, the highest peak in the vast Gasherbrum group, earned its original nickname "Hidden Peak" from the British explorer William Martin Conway, who explored the area in 1882 and whose gaze was eluded by the summit until the end. Stitzinger and von Melle will attempt to climb the Hidden Peak via the recently accessible South Route using skis and in alpine style – independently, without porters or artificial oxygen, and without the use of pre-installed fixed ropes or high camps. The mountaineering couple will be on their expedition for 47 days, from June 13 to July 29. Their journey will take them through Islamabad and Skardu (Pakistan) to the Baltoro region on the Chinese border. The couple has already achieved seven successful summits on the world's highest mountains without the use of bottled oxygen (Cho Oyu, Gasherbrum II, Nanga Parbat, Dhaulagiri, Broad Peak, Shishapangma, and Manaslu). During the expedition, Stitzinger and von Melle will occasionally report on their climbing progress on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Alix-von-Melle-Luis-Stitzinger-393510677461609/ Learn more about our speakers from the German Speaker Lexicon: https://www.deutsches-rednerlexikon.de/redner/alix-von-melle-luis-stitzinger.html