Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) on Thursday honoured Austrian mountaineer Lukas Woerle for his extraordinary courage and selfless rescue of a Pakistani high-altitude porter during the Broad Peak (8,047m) expedition in July 2023.
ACP pays tribute to Austrian mountaineer for selfless rescue mission
ISLAMABAD, Jul 23 (APP):Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) on Thursday honoured Austrian mountaineer Lukas Woerle for his extraordinary courage and selfless rescue of a Pakistani high-altitude porter during the Broad Peak (8,047m) expedition in July 2023.
The ceremony, held at the ACP headquarters under the patronage of ACP President Maj. Gen. (Retd) Irfan Arshad, was attended by Austrian Ambassador to Pakistan Wolfgang Oliver Kutschera as chief guest.
Secretary Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, Director General Pakistan Sports Board Yawar Hussain, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic community, renowned mountaineers, climbers and media representatives also attended the event.
According to the ACP, Woerle abandoned his summit attempt after finding Pakistani high-altitude porter Murtaza in critical condition on the summit ridge of Broad Peak.
With the assistance of American climber Dan Buonome, he successfully rescued the porter and brought him safely to Camp 3, placing human life above personal achievement.
Speaking on the occasion, ACP President Irfan Arshad said Woerle’s selfless act embodied the true spirit of mountaineering and would continue to inspire climbers across the world.
He said such humanitarian actions further strengthened the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and Austria while promoting ethical values within the international mountaineering community.
Austrian Ambassador Wolfgang Oliver Kutschera appreciated the ACP for recognizing an exceptional act of courage and praised Woerle’s humanitarian spirit and commitment to save a fellow mountaineer.
On the occasion, the ACP president presented a commemorative shield and a Certificate of Honour to Lukas Woerle in recognition of his bravery, sacrifice and invaluable contribution to save the life of the Pakistani high-altitude porter.
The Alpine Club of Pakistan reiterated its commitment to promote responsible, ethical and humanitarian values in mountaineering, saying acts of courage and compassion such as those demonstrated by Woerle continue to inspire the global mountaineering community.
