Kei Taniguchi (mountaineer)

Kei Taniguchi (谷口 けい, Taniguchi Kei, 14 July 1972 – 22 December 2015) was a Japanese mountaineer. Her accomplishments included climbing new technical routes on various mountains in Alaska, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan and China.

Kei Taniguchi
Personal information
NationalityJapanese
Born(1972-07-14)14 July 1972
Wakayama City, Japan
Died22 December 2015(2015-12-22) (aged 43)
Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido, Japan
Climbing career
Type of climberMountaineering
Known forFirst female winner of prestigious mountaineer prize Piolet d'Or

In 2009, she became the first female mountaineer to win the prestigious International Climbing award Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) after completing the first ascent of the Southeast Face of Kamet (7756 m) in India, sharing the award with her climbing partner Kazuya Hiraide.[1][2] She was known for her fearless Alpinist climbing style with no Sherpa support and was considered a pioneer among her peers.[3]

Profile

She was born in Wakayama City, Japan, and spent her childhood in Chiba, Japan. When she was in school, she came across a book written by Naomi Uemura, and determined that she would climb mountains one day.[4] Later in her life, Taniguchi became the author of numerous essays and worked as a conservation guide.

Death

In December 2015, when trekking with a few other climbers on Mount Kurodake in the Daisetuzan mountain range in Hokkaido, Japan, she slipped while taking a break and fell to her death.[5]

Life summary and notable climbs
  • July 14, 1972: Born in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture.
  • March 1998: Graduated from Meiji University.
  • 2001: Ascended Mount McKinley (6,193m / USA). Climbed for two consecutive days.
  • 2002: Participated in the Everest Cleaning Squadron 2002 with Ken Noguchi.
  • 2003: Participated in the Everest Cleaning Squad 2003 with Ken Noguchi.
  • 2004: First climb of Golden Peak [Northwest Ridge] (unexplored route / 7,027m / Pakistan). (Kazuya Hirade, Kei Taniguchi)
  • 2004: First climb of Laila Peak [East Wall] (unexplored route / 6,200m / Pakistan). (Kazuya Hiraide, Kei Taniguchi)
  • September 5, 2005: Ascended to Mustagh Ata [East Ridge] (7,569m / Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China). (Kazuya Hiraide, Kei Taniguchi)[6]
  • October 12, 2005: First climb of Shivling [North wall] (unexplored route / 6,543m / India). (Kazuya Hiraide, Kei Taniguchi)[6]
  • May 16, 2006: Ascent of Manaslu (8,163m / Nepal). (Ken Noguchi Manaslu Cleaning Mountaineering Corps: Kei Taniguchi)
  • May 17, 2007: Ascent of Everest [North wall] (8,848m / Tibet Autonomous Region, China). (Ken Noguchi Chomolungma Cleaning Squad: Ken Noguchi, Jun Hiraga, Kei Taniguchi)
  • October 5, 2008: Ascent of Kamet [Southeast Wall] (unexplored route / 7,756m / India); Samurai Direct.
  • 2008: Won the 17th Piolet d'Or Award (Golden Ice Axe Award), the first time a woman was awarded. She won for the climbing of the southeast wall of Kamet. She shared this award with Kazuya Hiraide.[7]
  • May 2, 2011: Ascent of Francis peak [Southwest Ridge] (3,185m / American Kahiltna Glacier). (Shinshu University Mountain Corps: Yasuhiro Hanatani, Kei Taniguchi).[8]
  • May 7, 2011: Ascent of Kahiltna Queen [West Wall] (3,773m / American Kahiltna Glacier). (Shinshu University Mountain Corps: Yasuhiro Hanatani, Kei Taniguchi).[9][10]
  • May 24, 2011: Ascent of Mount McKinley [West Buttress] (6,194m / USA). (Shinshu University Mountain Corps: Yasuhiro Hanatani, Kei Taniguchi, Kotaro Miyanishi, Shinsuke Oki).[11]
  • June 17, 2011: Ascent of Kahiltna Peak (4,000 m west peak, 4,100 m east peak / Kahiltna Glacier, USA). (Shinshu University Mountain Corps: Yasuhiro Hanatani, Kei Taniguchi).[12]
  • October 9, 2011: Ascent of Naimona'nyi [South East Wall] (7,694m / Tibet Autonomous Region, China). (Kazuya Hiraide, Kei Taniguchi)[6]
  • 2012: Ascent of Mount Aneto (3,404m /Spain). The climb was broadcast on NHK's Great Summits.
  • September 29, 2014: Won the 4th Faust AG Adventurers Award by leading four Japanese female college students in the first ever climbing of the unexplored peak of Mansail in Mustang (6,242m / Nepal).[6][13][14][15]
  • December 21, 2015: Fell from Mount Kurodake in Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido, and disappeared for a day. The following day, she was found in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, and was confirmed dead at the hospital. She was 43 years old.

See also

References
  1. "Kei Taniguch: Mountaineer who took on the world's toughest peaks". The Independent. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  2. "Remembering Kei Taniguchi - Alpinist.com". www.alpinist.com. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  3. "Kei Taniguchi, pioneering female mountaineer, dies in fall from peak". The Guardian. Associated Press. 25 December 2015. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  4. Douglas, Ed (4 January 2016). "Kei Taniguchi obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  5. "Japanese mountaineer Kei Taniguchi dies in fall while climbing peak in Hokkaido". CTVNews. 24 December 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  6. "Remembering Kei Taniguchi - Alpinist.com". www.alpinist.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  7. "Pandora's Box: The Brief, Brilliant Life of Kei Taniguchi - Alpinist.com". www.alpinist.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  8. 信州大学山岳会. "2011年アラスカ遠征報告書" (PDF). Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  9. "NEW MODERATE CLASSIC ON ALASKA'S KAHILTNA QUEEN - Alpinist.com". www.alpinist.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  10. 信州大学山岳会. "2011年アラスカ遠征報告書" (PDF). Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  11. 信州大学山岳会. "2011年アラスカ遠征報告書" (PDF). Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  12. 信州大学山岳会. "2011年アラスカ遠征報告書" (PDF). Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  13. マンセイル初登頂、女子大生ら4人に挑戦者賞朝日新聞デジタル2014年12月22日10時1分配信（2015年12月22日閲覧）
  14. 本学・長谷川恵理さんらの登山隊がヒマラヤ未踏峰・マンセイル峰に登頂成功！ 創価大学2014年9月29日配信（2015年12月22日閲覧）
  15. "冒険家未満の女子大学生が挑んだ、未踏峰｜INTERVIEW｜Faust A.G." Faust A.G. (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 February 2020.
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