‘This spring, he realized he didn’t want to go back. He couldn’t justify it for his children, his wife, and also himself to a certain degree. That’s when I knew I was going to go back by myself.’ — David Lama on climbing Lunag Ri without Conrad Anker
On October 25, David Lama climbed Lunag Ri by himself, three years after his first attempt. The 28-year-old Austrian alpinist has made four total attempts, including the first two with Conrad Anker.
Lunag Ri is a gem of mountaineering, standing 22,660 feet tall on the border of Nepal and Tibet. Composed of a mixture of snow, ice, and rock, it demands very technical rock climbing ability and skill. Before Lama, nobody had made it to the top.
Normally, mountains of this stature demand a team or partner to climb. But Lama made the unique decision to climb alone.
Over the course of three brutally cold days, Lama made his own bivouacs, rigged his own self-belays, and pushed to the summit. And he made it to the top and back down without any major complications.
We spoke with Lama, an athlete with The North Face, to learn what drove him to climb Lunag Ri solo and what it took to make it to the top.

Lunag Ri Climb: David Lama’s History With Iconic Peak
It’s rare for such a striking mountain in the Himalayas to go unclimbed for this long. In fact, the Nepalese government only began to issue climbing permits over the past few years.
Lama became fixated on the mountain three years ago and made four attempts since. His first two were with Anker, one year between each attempt.
The duo’s first trek brought them 300 meters from the summit. And during the beginning of their second attempt last year, Anker experienced a heart attack.
Shortly after Anker departed to Kathmandu and was deemed stable, Lama made a spur-of-the-moment decision to climb Lunag Ri. It was not an easy decision for Lama to make, as seen in the documentary about the attempt:
Summit Push: Lama Climbs Lunag Ri



Why Climb Solo? Lama Explains Motivation
“I knew that I was going to make it easier if I climbed it with someone else. A lot of things become harder when climbing by yourself. One of the biggest challenges is having the self-confidence that your plan is going to work out. You have to build it up and keep it up even when you’re tired.
“Whenever you have your doubts, and you’re climbing with a partner, there’s someone there to share your thoughts with — even if you don’t talk with your partner about your doubts or what bothers you or what worries you. If your partner keeps them moving on, you know that he has the confidence, and that builds up your confidence and belief in the project.”
