The Tragic Story of the First Woman to Die on Mount Everest
When it comes to the achievement of conquering a mountain, Everest is almost always the first name that comes to mind. Although it is impossible to know exactly how many people have actually set foot on its summit, the journey has been well-documented since 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay proved that climbing the peak was feasible.
However, even the most experienced climbers face a treacherous journey when attempting to conquer Everest, always walking a fine line between life and death. Tragically, Hannelore Schmatz’s climbing expedition encountered extreme challenges – including freezing temperatures and thin air – that ultimately led to her death.
The First Woman to Die on Everest
Hannelore Schmatz was a German mountaineer who became the first woman to die on Mount Everest and the first German national to perish on the mountain. Her death occurred on October 2, 1979, during her descent after successfully reaching the summit.
There are many stories surrounding the circumstances of Schmatz’s death, including accounts that those who saw her body on the mountain were haunted by her open eyes. While various details differ and the exact location of her death and her equipment have not been absolutely confirmed, what is certain is that Schmatz successfully conquered Everest – but the descent proved just as dangerous as the ascent.
The Climb Up and Down
In 1979, Schmatz joined a West German expedition to Everest. At that time, Everest climbs were still quite rare compared to today. The lack of weather forecasting equipment, less modern climbing gear, and the near impossibility of rescue operations made most climbers hesitant.
Schmatz herself was not lacking in experience. After marrying fellow mountaineer Gerhard Schmatz in 1962, the couple conquered many of the world’s most difficult peaks together – including Manaslu (1973), Tirich Mir (1975), and Lhotse (1977). These journeys provided valuable experience, especially in the harsh conditions of the Himalayan range.
The Death Zone
For those who dare to conquer Everest, the summit is not the end of the journey – it is only the halfway point. Above 8,000 meters lies what is known as the “death zone” – the final stretch to the summit, where conditions are so extreme that the human body begins to shut down.
Temperatures drop so low that hypothermia becomes nearly unavoidable, while the thin, oxygen-depleted air quickly impairs judgment, causes confusion, and slows movement. In this zone, climbers must ascend and descend quickly. Every minute matters.
Although Schmatz made it to the summit, the death zone became an insurmountable challenge on her way down.
The Fatal Descent
On October 1, 1979, Schmatz’s husband Gerhard reached the summit and returned to Camp IV. The following day, Hannelore conquered Everest via the South Col route. After weeks of effort, she was exhausted during the final, grueling stretch.
As she and her teammates began their descent, darkness fell, making the journey even more difficult in low-light conditions. Her destination was Camp IV, located at the edge of the death zone at approximately 7,900 meters.
Alongside her, American climber Ray Genet also began to tire, slowing their progress. Unable to continue, the two stopped to rest with their guide, Sungdare Sherpa. These extra hours of rest became the boundary between life and death.
When they were still not far from Camp IV (at approximately 8,300 meters), Schmatz’s body could no longer continue. She sat down and could not go on – a fatal mistake. Stopping to rest on Everest exposes the body directly to cold winds with almost no protection. Furthermore, without movement to generate heat, the body rapidly loses warmth. The longer one sits, the lower their chances of continuing.
Some accounts suggest that one or more other climbers, possibly Yasuo Kato, discovered Schmatz and Genet at this point. Whether this story is true or not, there is a harsh reality in mountaineering: rescuing a stranded climber can cost too much energy. Helping one person may cause others to die, as every climber needs all their energy just to survive. Schmatz’s descent was complicated by oxygen deprivation, which caused confusion and physical exhaustion, making the climb down far more difficult than the climb up.
It is unclear whether anyone saw her before she died, but the extreme temperatures of Everest ultimately caused her to collapse. Exhaustion prevented her from standing up, and oxygen deprivation combined with hypothermia claimed her life. Genet suffered the same fate; neither reached Camp IV. Their guide, Sungdare Sherpa, survived but suffered severe frostbite and lost his fingers.
Why Was Her Body Left on the Mountain?
Climbing Everest always carries great risk, and climbers are often advised not to undertake the journey for safety reasons. Therefore, when considering the recovery of Schmatz’s body from near Camp IV, many serious factors must be considered.
Retrieving a body from the death zone forces others to risk their own lives. Even today, with modern equipment, such an operation requires a specialized team and costs tens of thousands of dollars. This risk was far greater in 1979. In fact, in 1984, a Nepali climbing team attempted to bring her body down, but Yogendra Bahadur Thapa and Ang Dorjee fell to their deaths during the attempt.
As a result, Schmatz’s body remained on the south slope of Everest. Because of its location near a common resting point, her body became a kind of landmark along the climbing route. Climbers described her as sitting upright, leaning against her backpack, making her body easily visible.
Her body remained there from her death on October 2, 1979, until the 1990s. It is believed that strong winds eventually swept her remains off the mountain, although some have suggested that other climbers covered her body out of respect for her final resting place.
Some mountaineers still reported seeing her body in the early 2000s. However, because Schmatz was not the only person to die in the death zone (Genet also perished), it is unclear whether these accounts truly refer to her or to another climber.
Legacy
Hannelore Schmatz’s tragic death serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of high-altitude mountaineering. Her story highlights the harsh reality that on Everest, even reaching the summit does not guarantee survival. The descent – through the death zone, in darkness, with depleted oxygen and exhausted bodies – is often the most dangerous part of the journey.
Her body remained on the mountain for years, a silent warning to those who dare to follow in her footsteps. While modern equipment and weather forecasting have improved, the mountain remains unforgiving. And every year, new climbers pass by the spots where others have fallen, reminded that Everest takes as often as it gives.
Primary Sources:
historydefined.net – Hannelore Schmatz biography
Himalayan Database – 1979 Everest expedition records
Account of Gerhard Schmatz (surviving spouse)
Mountaineering journals and survivor testimonies