Félix Iñurrategi

Born

1967-04-01

Died

2000-07-28

Birthplace

Arechavaleta, País Vasco, España

Biography

Felix Iñurrategi Iriarte (born in Aretxabaleta, Gipuzkoa, on April 1, 1967; died on Gasherbrum II on July 28, 2000) was a Basque mountaineer. Together with his younger brother Alberto Iñurrategi, he formed a highly popular duo within the mountaineering community and on the international stage over the years—a partnership that ended with his death in a tragic accident in northern Pakistan, an event that deeply affected the Basque Country. Like his brother Alberto, Felix loved the mountains and began hiking with the "Murrukixo Mendizale Elkartea" association. Later, he began rock climbing and hiking outside the Basque Country alongside Alberto. Felix Iñurrategi studied agricultural engineering in Atarrabia. During his adolescence, he also demonstrated talent for *Bertsolaritza*—an art form involving improvised, rhymed, and strophic verse singing, performed by *bertsolaris* and dating back to the 18th century. Between 1987 and 1988, he and his brother climbed peaks in the Alps before traveling to North America in 1989 to visit Yosemite, where they ascended El Capitan (via the *The Nose*, *Zodiac*, and *Lurking Fear* routes) and Half Dome (via the normal route). Then began the Iñurrategi brothers' Himalayan odyssey: on September 29, 1990, they climbed Pumori (7,161 m) with a group of Catalan mountaineers. The following year, the two brothers climbed Makalu via the Kukuczka route, accompanied by Felipe Uriarte. In 1992, they reached the summit of Everest via the South Col (normal) route without supplemental oxygen; the race to summit all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks had begun. A year later, they attempted to climb K2 via the North Face but were unsuccessful. In 1994, they succeeded in reaching the summit of the "Savage Mountain" via the Cesen Route, alongside climbers including Juanito Oiarzabal. In 1995, they climbed two peaks in two weeks via the normal route: Cho Oyu and Lhotse. In 1996, they again climbed in pairs, both times via the British Route: Kangchenjunga with Juanito and Shishapangma with Josu Bereziartua. In 1997, they climbed Broad Peak via the normal route after attempting to pioneer a new path. That same year, they climbed Aoraki/Mount Cook (New Zealand) as part of the Spanish television program *Al Filo De Lo Imposible*. The following winter, they made two unsuccessful attempts to climb Manaslu. In 1998, after a tremendous effort, they reached the summit of Dhaulagiri with Juanito Oiarzabal. That same year, they attempted to climb Gyala Peri (a 7,000-meter peak) but did not succeed. In July 1999, on Nanga Parbat, the two brothers helped rescue a Colombian mountaineer before reaching the summit a few days later. They were honored for this action by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. In the spring of 2000, they reached the summit of Manaslu. Felix Iñurrategi successfully climbed twelve peaks over 8,000 meters; the last was Gasherbrum II on July 28, 2000. During the descent, he fell 400 meters, a fall that proved fatal. His body rests on Gasherbrum II.