Kenro Nakajima

Takeo "Kenro" Nakajima (中島 健郎; October 19, 1984 – July 27, 2024) was a Japanese elite alpinist and cameraman who won three Piolet d'Or awards, considered to be the highest achievement in mountaineering. In 2018, Nakajima and his climbing partner Kazuya Hiraide received the 26th Piolet d'Or for their ascent of the unclimbed northeast face of Shispare, which they climbed in 2017. In 2020, the pair won their second Piolet d'Or for their ascent of Rakaposhi (7,788 m). They would win their final posthumous Piolet in 2024. Nakajima summited six of the Seven Summits and three eight-thousanders: Cho Oyu, Manaslu, and Mount Everest. He was known for making first ascents on other remote peaks across the Himalayas and the Karokoram.

Early life and education Nakajima was born on October 19, 1984, in Japan's Nara Prefecture. His interest in climbing came from his father, a keen climber who died when Nakajima was five years old. After his father's death, the family moved to Osaka, and his mother would take him to the mountains. Despite the challenge, he was encouraged to continue mountaineering once he reached the summit and took in the view.

Early climbing career As a student, he traveled to the Himalayas three times, and climbed two previous unclimbed peaks.

In 2008, Nakajima and Hiroki Yamamoto made the first ascent of Dingjung Ri via the East Ridge (6,196 m). The next year, the pair made the first ascent of Dingjung Ri South (6,249 m) via the southeast face. It was the first authorized attempt on the peak from the Nepalese side.

Professional climbing career After graduation in 2008,

In 2013, Najakima made his first trip to climb a high peak in alpine-style, with an expedition to K6. The next year, they summited the unclimbed northeast face of Shispare in Pakistan's Batura Muztagh. They named the route Shukriya (2,700 m, WI5 M6), The climb would later be awarded their second Piolet d'Or in 2020. an outdoor equipment supplier who would go on to sponsor his next expeditions with Hiraide. The next year, the pair climbed the north face of Tirich Mir (7,708 m), the highest peak of the Hindu Kush. They named their new route The Secret Line, which reached 2,000 m from the Lower Tirich Glacier to the summit. Hiraide had long been public about his desire to climb K2 via a new route. In an interview in 2021, Nakajima, shared his climbing partner's enthusiasm, describing it as his immediate goal, and one that had a limited window due to his age. The summit via the west face had only been completed once before, in a classic expedition style using fixed ropes. The expedition to summit the peak alpine-style was considered by some to be one of the most anticipated climbs of the season. On July 27, Hiraide contacted the expedition's sponsor to let them know that he and Nakajima were planning to move to the upper part of Camp 2. Two hours later, the expedition sponsor alerted a Pakistani military helicopter to begin looking for the climbers, after the pair lost contact with their expedition team. Later that day, two motionless figures were found at 7,500m by the helicopter team, and a ground rescue was initiated. The climbers were found by helicopter in a remote location that could not be reached by air. On July 29, the expedition team's staff and crew left advanced base camp without reaching the climbers.

On July 30 expedition sponsor Ishii Sports announced that they had called off further rescue attempts due to dangerous conditions on K2. As of August 2024, neither Nakajima or Hiraide's bodies have been recovered.

Legacy In September 2024, members of the Piolets d’Or technical committee named Hiraide and Nakajima's 2023 climb of The Secret Line as one of the year's most significant ascents. That October, The Secret Line was honoured with one of the 2024 Piolets d'Or. The posthumous award would be Nakajima's 3rd. 2008: Dingjung Ri South face (6,196 m), first ascent 2011: Cho Oyu (8,188 m) 2012: Matterhorn (4,478 m) 2013: Manaslu (8,163 m) 2014: Hkakabo Razi (5,881 m) 2017: Shispare, North-east face