Successful with LOWA

Born in Hamburg, Alix von Melle is Germany's most successful expedition mountaineer. Since 2006 she has already climbed six eight-thousanders - one each year. Most recently, she climbed Broad Peak in August 2011 via a route over the west ridge and the western flank.

For 2012 she has decided to take on the "baby" of the eight-thousanders, Sisha Pangma, at 8,027 metres. The special thing about this mountain is that it is the only eight-thousander that is fully on Tibetan soil. Alix von Melle lives and works in Munich, Germany, is a mountainer of passion and is also an enthusiastic ice and rock climber.

A stormy tempest on Manaslu

After a seven-week expedition, the German mountaineering duo Alix von Melle and Luis Stitzinger (Höhenkirchen/Region of Munich) returned home last weekend from Manaslu (8,163 m) in West Nepal. Along with their luggage, they once again brought back with them many adventures and experiences, although unfortunately this time no summit success due to the weather upsetting their plans. On the 12th of May, a scant 200 meters below the highest point, von Melle and Stitzinger with their three teammates from Bavaria and Saxony had to turn back- with the peak just outside of their grasp. A tremendous mountain storm forced them on a dramatic descent. Upon reaching 7,400 meters, one teammate collapsed, suffering from snowblindness and high altitude pulmonary edema. Over the next two days the mountaineering team was fortunately able to stabilise its ill companion by administering emergency oxygen and providing altitude medications, all the while descending over a demanding glacier passage along the route to base camp (4,850 m) in order to bring him to safety.