Iñaki Ochoa de Olza
Born: 1967-05-29 in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
Iñaki Ochoa de Olza (May 29, 1967, in Pamplona, Navarre – May 23, 2008, on Annapurna, Nepal) was a Spanish mountaineer and climber. Ochoa de Olza participated in over thirty distinct climbing expeditions in the Himalayas during his career and was involved in more than 200 expeditions as a guide. His achievements included summiting 12 of the world's 14 highest mountains (repeating one of them, Cho Oyu) without the use of supplemental oxygen. Ochoa publicly stated that he did not believe in using oxygen to climb mountains, asserting that "if you use oxygen, you are not a mountaineer; you are more like an astronaut or a scuba diver." He died of pulmonary edema in May 2008 while attempting to climb Annapurna (which would have been his 13th eight-thousander). He passed away on May 23, 2008, during the ascent of Annapurna, after suffering an ischemic stroke and likely pulmonary edema, which caused a loss of consciousness and, ultimately, death at an altitude of 7,400 meters. The Romanian climber Horia Colibasanu cared for him for three days until the Swiss climber Ueli Steck took over at noon on Thursday the 22nd. Colibasanu would not allow Steck to assist with the descent if it meant leaving Iñaki alone. When Iñaki died, Denis Urubko was just hours away, carrying medication and oxygen bottles. Eleven other climbers were positioned below, rigging the mountain in an attempt to bring Iñaki down. Iñaki Ochoa de Olza wanted to give back to the poorest, orphaned, and needy children in countries home to 8,000-meter peaks, sharing what he himself had received. To this end, he sought to raise funds to build an orphanage in Kathmandu, a children's hospital in Pakistan, and a school in Dharamsala (the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile). His goal of helping the most needy children is currently being pursued by his family through the Iñaki Ochoa de Olza - SOS Himalaya Foundation. In recognition of his sporting career, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Sports Merit of Navarre.
