Iñaki Ochoa de Olza

Ochoa de Olza died in 2008 while attempting to climb the 8,091-metre (26,545 ft) Nepalese mountain, Annapurna. Ochoa was trying to climb to the peak of Annapurna with his climbing partner, Romanian alpinist Horia Colibășanu. They were forced to halt their climb near the summit of the mountain because of dangerous weather conditions at the peak. Ochoa had also suffered severe frostbite to his hands, which also forced the duo to halt the climb. Upon their descent back down the mountain, Ochoa collapsed and suffered a seizure near Annapurna's Camp 4. He and his partner were unable to descend any further due to Ochoa's sudden illness and incapacitation. Ochoa suffered from lung and brain damage due to the seizure. His condition was further complicated by pulmonary edema.

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza died on May 23, 2008, at 6:45 a.m. GMT in an emergency tent on Annapurna, where he had been trapped in a semiconscious and immobile state for five days. He died from a suspected pulmonary edema, as well as a brain lesion, according to the Spanish newspaper, Diario de Navarra. His body still remains there, at 7,400 meters in the Annapurna, as per his family's request.

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza (May 29, 1967 in Pamplona, Navarre – May 23, 2008 in Annapurna, Nepal) was a Spanish mountaineer, alpinist and climber. Ochoa de Olza took part in more than thirty separate climbing expeditions in the Himalayas over the course of his career, and he was involved in more than 200 expeditions as a guide. His records included climbing 12 of the world's 14 tallest mountains (repeating one of them, Cho Oyu) without the aid of oxygen. Ochoa went on record as saying that he did not believe in using oxygen to climb mountains, claiming "if you use oxygen, you are not an alpinist; you are more of an astronaut or a scuba diver.". He died of pulmonary edema in May 2008 while attempting to climb Annapurna (which would have been his 13th eight thousander).

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza was born in Pamplona, Navarra, north of Spain, on May 29, 1967. He completed his first climb over 8,000 meters when he ascended to the peak of Kangchenjunga at the age of 22. He also worked as a high altitude guide and cameraman. His most recent achievements included a solo climb on a new route on Shishapangma in 2005.