Celebrating an Icon: The Life and Ascents of an Unforgettable Alpinist

A Valiant Final Descent and a Life Lived Vertically

The mountaineering community mourns the loss of Nikolay Totmyanin, a titan of Russian alpinism, who departed on August 11 at the age of 66. His final climb, a descent from Kyrgyzstan's formidable Pobeda Peak, culminated in a sudden illness. Despite his valiant efforts to reach lower altitudes, he was admitted to intensive care in Bishkek on August 10 and passed away the following morning. His determination, even in his final moments, epitomized his lifelong dedication to the mountains.

A Career Defined by Unrivaled Exploration and Mastery

Beyond his professional life as a nuclear power engineer in Saint Petersburg, Totmyanin's true passion lay in the vertical world. His extraordinary climbing resume spanned decades, encompassing more than 200 ascents across the globe's most iconic mountain ranges, including the Caucasus, Pamirs, Tien Shan, Alps, Himalaya, Karakoram, and North America. His expeditions included 27 climbs graded 5A, 10 graded 5B, and 63 challenging big-wall ascents. Notably, he had previously conquered the formidable Pobeda Peak, also known as Jengish Chokusu, on multiple occasions.

Pioneering New Routes and Conquering the World's Giants

Totmyanin's name is etched into the annals of mountaineering history through his participation in groundbreaking expeditions. In 1990, as part of Aleksander Shevchenko's team, he achieved a new route on Lhotse via the South Face Direttissima. His unyielding spirit led him to summit Everest twice, in 2003 and 2006, both times without the aid of supplementary oxygen. He further showcased his audacious vision by helping to forge a new, challenging route on K2's West Face in 2007, again, without bottled oxygen.

A Legacy of Awards and Unbreakable Spirit

His impressive list of achievements continued with the first ascent of Jannu's north face in 2004, an accomplishment that earned him the prestigious Piolet d'Or, often considered mountaineering's highest honor. He continued his oxygen-free ascent streak, summiting Dhaulagiri I in 2008 and Kangchenjunga in 2011. Totmyanin was also a five-time recipient of the revered Snow Leopard award, bestowed upon climbers who summit all five 7,000-meter peaks of the former USSR: Jengish Chokusu, Khan Tengri, Lenin Peak, Korzhenevskaya, and Ismoil Somoni. Recognized as a Master of Sports, he also earned his home country's equivalent of a Golden Ice Axe, among numerous other distinctions, solidifying his status as a true legend of the mountains.