FEEL IT.STREAM
Iñaki Ochoa de Olza

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza

Acting

Biography

Iñaki Ochoa de Olza (May 29, 1967, in Pamplona, ​​Navarre – May 23, 2008, on Annapurna, Nepal) was a Spanish mountaineer and climber. Ochoa de Olza participated in over thirty distinct climbing expeditions in the Himalayas during his career and was involved in more than 200 expeditions as a guide. His achievements included summiting 12 of the world's 14 highest mountains (repeating one of them, Cho Oyu) without the use of supplemental oxygen. Ochoa publicly stated that he did not believe in using oxygen to climb mountains, asserting that "if you use oxygen, you are not a mountaineer; you are more like 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). He passed away on May 23, 2008, during the ascent of Annapurna, after suffering an ischemic stroke and likely pulmonary edema, which caused a loss of consciousness and, ultimately, death at an altitude of 7,400 meters. The Romanian climber Horia Colibasanu cared for him for three days until the Swiss climber Ueli Steck took over at noon on Thursday the 22nd. Colibasanu would not allow Steck to assist with the descent if it meant leaving Iñaki alone. When Iñaki died, Denis Urubko was just hours away, carrying medication and oxygen bottles. Eleven other climbers were positioned below, rigging the mountain in an attempt to bring Iñaki down. Iñaki Ochoa de Olza wanted to give back to the poorest, orphaned, and needy children in countries home to 8,000-meter peaks, sharing what he himself had received. To this end, he sought to raise funds to build an orphanage in Kathmandu, a children's hospital in Pakistan, and a school in Dharamsala (the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile). His goal of helping the most needy children is currently being pursued by his family through the Iñaki Ochoa de Olza - SOS Himalaya Foundation. In recognition of his sporting career, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Sports Merit of Navarre.

Known For

Iñaki's Voice
10.0

This 2008 documentary traces the journey of mountaineer Iñaki Ochoa de Olza Seguin. Rather than recounting his death, the film focuses on his life, drawing on a wide range of archival materials: recordings of lectures made by his father, photos sent by friends, period footage, and 8mm home movies. Iñaki’s voice—culled from these materials—challenges our complacency and speaks of his connection to Navarre, his family, and the mountains. Through this relationship with the mountains, the film explores joy, pain, the contrast between a life lived intensely and a conventional, comfortable existence, as well as happiness and death. This tribute film premiered at the Baluarte Auditorium in Pamplona in 2008, during the ceremony awarding medals for sporting merit to Iñaki himself and to everyone who had taken part in his rescue.

Iñaki's Voice

2008Movie
On Ne Marche Qu'une Fois Sur La Lune
10.0

For twenty years, the Beghin-Lafaille route on the South Face of Annapurna was considered one of the most difficult and dangerous in the Himalayas. In the autumn of 2013, it was climbed first by Ueli Steck solo, and then by the team of Yannick Graziani and Stéphane Benoist. It is an extraordinary route that profoundly changed the lives of those who tackled it. The film recounts the remarkable convergence of destinies surrounding this climb and explores how such an ascent can transform a life. Drawing inspiration from the experiences of astronauts returning from the moon—who suffered from "absolute achievement" syndrome—the filmmakers sought to understand how the deep-seated drives that compel mountaineers to prepare for and commit to such climbs can shatter at the very moment a lifelong goal appears to have been reached.

On Ne Marche Qu'une Fois Sur La Lune

2014Movie