caption website death_date death_place birth_place birth_date image article_title name occupation
karl unterkircher in july 2007 -lsb- http://karlunterkircher.it/index.html karlunterkircher.it -rsb- 15 july 2008 nanga parbat sëlva , italy 27 august 1970 karl unterkircher.jpg karl unterkircher
 karl unterkircher mountaineer
karl unterkircher

karl unterkircher -lrb- 27 august 1970 -- 15 july 2008 -rrb- was an italian mountaineer .
he is mostly known for opening new mountain routes .
unterkircher was born in sëlva .
in 2004 , he was the first alpinist to climb the two highest peaks on earth -lrb- mount everest and k2 -rrb- without oxygen in the same year -lrb- within 63 days -rrb- he made the second ascent of mount genyen , china , -lrb- first ascent by japanese in 1987 -rrb- and the first ascent of the north face of gasherbrum ii -lrb- together with daniele bernasconi and michele compagnoni -rrb- .
he also climbed the jasemba , nepal , -lrb- together with hans kammerlander -rrb- .
he has received several awards including the cavaliere ordine al merito della repubblica italiana .
on 15 july 2008 he fell into a crevasse during an attempt to open a new route to the top of himalayan mountain nanga parbat and is presumed dead .
`` karl unterkircher was the new star of mountain climbing '' , commented reinhold messner when told of his death .
