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August 1, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
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People File • Mountaineer

Hannelore Schmatz

Hannelore Schmatz was a German mountaineer who became the fourth woman to summit Mount Everest.

Updated August 1, 20261 min readCited sources

Hannelore Schmatz was a German mountaineer and the fourth woman to summit Mount Everest. She died during her descent in 1979, becoming the first woman and first German citizen known to die on Everest’s upper slopes.

Background

Schmatz was born on 14 February 1940 in Germany. She became known as a mountaineer and later joined an Everest expedition with her husband, Gerhard Schmatz.

The 1979 climb and fatal descent

In 1979, Schmatz successfully reached the summit via the southern route. On 2 October, during the descent, she collapsed around 8,300 metres from exhaustion, exposure, and hypothermia. She was the first woman and first German citizen to die on Everest’s upper slopes.

Remains and historical note

Her body remained on Everest for years and became a grim landmark for climbers. Later reports indicate it was moved or carried off by wind and terrain and is no longer visible on the standard route. Schmatz is remembered as the fourth woman to summit Everest.

In short

  • Fourth woman to summit Mount Everest.
  • Died during descent in 1979 at about 8,300 m.
  • First woman and first German to die on Everest’s upper slopes.
  • Her body was a visible landmark on Everest for many years.

Quick questions

Who is Hannelore Schmatz?
Hannelore Schmatz was a German mountaineer best known as the fourth woman to summit Mount Everest.
How did Hannelore Schmatz die?
She died during her descent from Everest, with sources describing exhaustion, exposure, and hypothermia.
What happened to Hannelore Schmatz’s body?
Her body remained on Mount Everest for years and was visible to climbers, but later reports indicate it was moved or lost from view.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannelore_Schmatz
    Supports: Birth and death dates, nationality, Everest summit status, and note that she died while returning from the summit.
  2. German Wikipedia — https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannelore_Schmatz
    Supports: German mountaineer identification, summit achievement, and death during descent at about 8300 m.
  3. Czech Wikipedia — https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannelore_Schmatz
    Supports: Death date, Everest death location, summit achievement, and description of death during descent.
  4. All That's Interesting — https://allthatsinteresting.com/hannelore-schmatz
    Supports: Summary of her Everest ascent, death, and the later loss of visibility of her body.
  5. ExplorersWeb — https://explorersweb.com/looking-back-in-1979-the-first-woman-dies-on-everest/
    Supports: Historical account of the 1979 incident and the fact that her body was a landmark for years.
  6. Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q91965
    Supports: Birth and death dates.