Deutsche Himalaja-Stiftung

Epic documentary about the german expeditions to Nanga Parbat up to 1937. After a first unsuccessful attempt in 1932 and the tragical second expedition led by Willy Merkl in 1934, in 1937 Karl Wien led another expedition to the mountain following the same route as Merkl's expeditions. Progress was made, but more slowly than before due to heavy snowfall. About 14 June seven Germans and nine Sherpas, almost the entire team, were at Camp IV below Rakhiot Peak when it was overrun by an avalanche. All sixteen men died. The film was assembled in 1938 with rescued 16mm material shot during the 1937 attempt and footage from the previous expeditions.

Record of the 1938 German expedition to Nanga Parbat. In June 1938, the vanguard of the German expedition to the Himalayas, after many laborious detours through the labyrinth of the glaciers, had reached Camp IV at 6200m of altitude. A violent storm, which raged for over five days, left the team blocked in camp IV, with food and fuel in decidedly low quantities. They send an S.O.S., which is collected by the aviators in Srinagar, who manage to get food, parachuting them, to the unfortunates blocked by snow. The team, led by Paul Bauer, will still have to retire due to adverse weather conditions.