Mountaineer Luis Stitzinger, seen here with his wife Alix von Melle, who is also a mountaineer, is missing in the Himalayas. © HRSchulz/imago/Archivbild
Luis Stitzinger is one of the most successful mountaineers from Germany. Now the Allgäuer is missing in the Himalayas. He is alone on the third highest mountain in the world.
Kathmandu – There is great concern: Luis Stitzinger, one of Germany's best-known and most successful mountaineers, is missing in the Himalayas. As Thaneshwor Guragain, an employee of his Nepalese expedition company Seven Summit Treks, announced on Whit Monday (29 May), the experienced mountain and ski guide had been alone on the third highest mountain in the world, the eight-thousander Kanchenjunga (8,586 meters) on the border between India and Nepal.
Lost in the Himalayas: German mountaineer Luis Stitzinger is missing
Only at the base camp would Stitzinger have used the services of Sherpas. A local mountaineer from the Sherpa people would have seen him for the last time on Thursday (25 May) on the descent to around 8,500 metres. The fact that Stitzinger is missing had already been confirmed by an employee from the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism.
According to its own information, the expedition company is sending a rescue team with four Sherpas. It is said that Stitzinger was unable to climb up in the face of bad weather. In addition, his exact location is not known, as his GPS device stopped sending signals during his ascent.
"Together on the highest mountains in the world": Luis Stitzinger married to mountaineer Alix von Melle
Partly together with his wife Alix von Melle, also a mountaineer, Stitzinger climbed several eight-thousanders and other high mountains. Together they published the book "Passion for Life: Together on the Highest Mountains in the World".
"Luis has been at home in the mountains since he was a child; the experienced mountain guide and expedition leader crowns ascents with spectacular ski runs. Often, caring for each other puts the relationship to the test," reads the description of the book. (han/dpa)
