Álex Txikon
Acting
Biography
Álex Txikon is a Basque mountaineer and Himalayan climber from Spain, born on December 12, 1981, in Lemoa, Biscay, where he grew up as the youngest of thirteen children. Deeply affected by the mountains from a young age, his passion for heights was quickly coupled with a taste for adventure and teamwork, an aspect that remains central to his approach to exploration, whether it involves extreme expeditions or filmed projects in the remote reaches of the Himalayas. In the early 2000s, Txikon traveled to the Himalayas for the first time as a cameraman with Edurne Pasaban's team, which was then engaged in the project to climb fourteen eight-thousanders. In 2003, at just 21 years old, he climbed his first eight-thousander, Broad Peak, in the Karakoram range, which truly launched his career as a high-level Himalayan mountaineer. In the following years, he climbed Makalu, Cho Oyu, and other major peaks, while also participating in several TV expeditions and documentaries, notably those related to the series "Al filo de lo imposible" (On the Edge of the Impossible), which helped bring him to the attention of the general public. Throughout his career, Álex Txikon became one of the world's leading specialists in winter expeditions, distinguished by his ability to endure extreme cold and long periods of isolation at high altitude. He participated in more than thirty expeditions and managed to climb eleven of the fourteen eight-thousanders, including Shishapangma twice, bringing his total number of 8,000-meter peaks to twelve. In 2013, he achieved the first winter ascent of Laila Peak in Pakistan, and then, in the same year, successfully climbed Lhotse, confirming his reputation as a fast and versatile high-altitude mountaineer. One of the major turning points in his career came in 2016 when he achieved the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat, "the killer mountain," alongside Simone Moro and Muhammad Ali Sadpara. The expedition took place in extreme conditions, with temperatures plummeting to -55°C, and established Txikon as one of the leading figures in contemporary Himalayan mountaineering. Subsequently, he dedicated several seasons to winter attempts on Everest and K2, notably a 2019 expedition to K2 marked by the use of igloos at base camp and high-altitude camps—an innovative, cleaner approach designed to improve comfort and safety compared to traditional tents. Beyond his role as a mountaineer, Txikon is also a multidisciplinary athlete, an aizkolari (traditional Basque lumberjack) and a former BASE jumper, a discipline in which he set a Spanish record in 2013 by jumping from the summit of Veleta, at an altitude of over 3,200 meters. He readily defines himself as a man of the land, committed to discovering local cultures and the human dimension of expeditions, believing that the mountains only have meaning when shared with his climbing partners and the inhabitants of the valleys he traverses. A tireless explorer, he continues to prepare new expeditions, often in winter, confirming his place among the most seasoned Himalayan climbers of his generation.
Known For
David Broncano, along with Jorge Ponce, Ricardo Castella and his other collaborators, lead La Revuelta, a comedy show that includes multiple sections and interviews from the Teatro Príncipe Gran Vía in Madrid.
La Revuelta
Alex Txikon, internationally renowned mountaineer, is launching a new winter expedition in 2021 to Manaslu (Nepal). It is the first non-polluting ascent, powered by solar panels. With this sustainable system, which reduces the energy footprint in accordance with the Paris Agreements, the EKI Foundation is beginning its work of solidarity. Alex is going to learn about the work developed by the Foundation in Sierra Leone, where they provide solar energy systems that enable energy autonomy in schools and hospitals. Txikon proposes to replicate this idea in a very special school in the Diamer Valley in Pakistan, the Günter Mountain School, uniting two different but at the same time equal cultures.
Anwar
"Verso L'Ignoto" (Towards the Unknown) is an Italian documentary that follows mountaineer Daniele Nardi and his team in their attempt to achieve the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat, an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, nicknamed the "killer mountain" due to its exceptional danger. For three years, the camera follows the preparation and several successive expeditions, showing the extreme cold, avalanches, fatigue, and the setbacks that constantly force the climbers to choose between continuing their quest for the summit or preserving their lives. More than just a story of sporting achievement, the documentary highlights doubt, defeat, and human fragility, showing that the "unknown" is not only the mountain, but also the element of risk, desire, and need for self-transcendence that each of us carries within.
Through the Unknown
The first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat was achieved in 2016 by Pakistani Muhammad Ali Sadpara and Spaniard Alex Txikón, accompanied by Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger. Alex Txikón made headlines again by attempting K2 in the winter of 2019, then Everest in the winter of 2020 (each time unsuccessfully); but also by participating in the search operations led by Tom Ballard and Daniele Nardi on Nanga Parbat in March 2019, even claiming to have spotted two figures on the face. Confined during the Himalayan season, the Basque climber took the opportunity to work on a film recounting his own adventure on Nanga Parbat four years earlier.
The Naked Mountain
In October 2001, five Basque mountaineers, Beñat Arrue (22), Iñaki Aiertza (27), Aritz Artieda (23), Javi Arkauz (22), and César Nieto (23)—lost their lives while climbing Mount Pumori (7,161 m) in Nepal. After the fatal avalanche, the five other members of the expedition alerted rescue services and organized an unsuccessful rescue attempt. A year later, Arantxa Gurrutxaga and Peio Arrue, Beñat Arrue's parents, returned to Nepal to pay their respects at the site of the tragedy and try to find the young Nepalese girl who appeared with their son in the last photograph of him before the accident. A growing bond developed between Suku Maya, the mountain girl, and Beñat Arrue's family, who would support and accompany him over the years. Catharsis, from tragedy to love, the death of the five young mountaineers allows Suku to have a new chance in life.