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Alix von Melle

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Alix von Melle
Born1 September 1971
Hamburg, Germany
EducationGeography
Alma materLudwig Maximilian University of Munich
Occupation(s)Mountaineer, PR professional
Known forClimbing more eight-thousanders than any other German woman
Spouse(s)Luis Stitzinger (2011—his death, 2023)
Children0
Websitehttps://www.goclimbamountain.de/en

Alix von Melle (September 1, 1971 in Hamburg) is a German mountaineer and alpinist who is considered one of Germany's most successful high altitude mountaineers, summitting seven eight-thousanders without using supplemental oxygen.[1][2]

Biography

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Alix von Melle was the third of four children born to a school teacher and businessman in Ahrensburg.[3] After high school, she studied geography in Hamburg and in 1992 transferred to the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.[4] It was while studying in Munich when she fell in love with the mountains and discovered her passion for climbing and ski mountaineering.[5] In Munich, she also met Luis Stitzinger, who would become her partner in ski mountaineering and in life.[6][7]

In 2001, she joined her partner on an expedition to Aconcagua that he was leading as a mountain guide.[8] On that trip, she would become the first German woman to climb Aconcagua when she reached the summit via the south face.[9] The experience led her to want to climb more. She climbed Muztagata the next year.

Ama Dablam, Himalayas, where von Melle was the first German woman to summit

After university, she spent a decade managing the Bavarian regional office of the German Alpine Club while Stitzinger was a mountain guide.[10] Over twenty-five years together, the two became Germany's most high profile mountaineering couples, and would climb many of the world's highest peaks together.[11][12]

In 2004, von Melle climbed Ama Dablam via the southwest ridge, as well as Huascaran Norte. In 2005, she reached the summit of Denali. In 2006, alongside Luis, von Melle summitted her first eight-thousander, Gasherbrum II. The next year, she reached the summit of Lenin Peak.[4]

Stitzinger and von Melle married in 2011.[13]

Later she managed the press and public relations department of Globetrotter, a German sporting goods retailer[14] before becoming a self-employed PR consultant.[15] In 2014, after an unsuccessful summit of Makalu, due to altitude sickness, she climbed Kilimanjaro to recover.[16]

Notable ascents

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Date Mountain Height (m) Route Notes
29 June 2006 Gasherbrum II 8.034 Southwest Spur (III), Banana-Ridge
21 June 2008 Nanga Parbat 8,125 Kinshofer Route (V) Together with Helga Söll, second German woman at the summit[17]
18 May 2009 Dhaulagiri 8,167 Northeast Ridge (II)
May 2010 Makalu 8,485 French Route Turned back at 8050m due to cold[18]
2 October 2010 Cho Oyu 8,188 Tichy-Route
25 July 2011 Broad Peak 8,051 West ridge and west flank [19]
May 2012 Manaslu 8,163 Northeast flank and northeast ridge Turned back at 7990m due to thunderstorm
1 May 2012 Shishapangma 8,027 North ridge [6]
May 2014 Makalu 8,485 French route Turned back at 8250m due to altitude sickness[16]
April – June 2015 Mount Everest 8,848 Unsuccessful due to 2015 Nepal Earthquake[20]
30 September 2017 Manaslu 8,163 Northeast flank and northwest ridge [21]

In 2023, her husband and climbing partner Luis Stizinger died while climbing Kangchenjunga in Nepal.[22] Despite her loss, she has continued to climb and return to the mountains.[23]

Literature

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  • Gaby Funk: Alix von Melle & Luis Stitzinger – Ein Paar mit gemeinsamer Leidenschaft fürs Hohe (PDF; 849 kB). In: DAV Panorama – Magazin des Deutschen Alpenvereins. 65. Jahrgang, Nr. 4, 2013, ISSN 1437-5923, S. 92–97.

Writing

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  • Leidenschaft fürs Leben. Together with Luis Stitzinger. Malik-Verlag, München/Berlin 2015, ISBN 978-3-89029-442-1.

References

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  1. ^ "Alix von Melle & Luis Stitzinger: 7 x 8000 – Zwischen Gewitterinferno und Gipfelglück | Sektion Weinheim des Deutschen Alpenvereins". Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  2. ^ Heinemann, Janina (22 November 2023). "Schicksalsschlag: Erfolgreichste Bergsteigerin kämpft sich zum Gipfel zurück". www.abendblatt.de (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  3. ^ Clemens Kratzer (16 March 2011). "Interview mit Alix von Melle". alpin.de. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Teamwork". goclimbamountain.de. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  5. ^ Otto, Thorsten (20 February 2024). "Alix von Melle, Bergsteigerin, "Wenn was passiert, dann ist nicht der Berg schuld"" [If anything goes wrong, it's not the mountain's fault"]. Bayerischer Rundfunk (in German). Blaue Couch: BR Podcast. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Face to Face: Alix von Melle and Luis Stitzinger". www.camp.it (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  7. ^ vroni (7 July 2014). "Interview – Alpinhelden: Alix von Melle und Luis Stitzinger" (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  8. ^ Morenz, Sabrina (12 March 2024). "Höhenbergsteigerin Alix von Melle sagt: "Die Berge sind für mich ein Kraftort"". SÜDKURIER Online (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  9. ^ Michel, Christoph (25 February 2020). "Alix von Melle – High altitude climber". SOTO Outdoors. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  10. ^ "iF Design – Alix von Melle". ifdesign.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  11. ^ Geiger, Stephanie (2 March 2024). "Sterben am Berg: wie Alix von Melle den Tod von Luis Stitzinger verarbeitet". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Von Melle nach Tod des Partners: "So konnte ich ohne Vorwürfe oder Wut auf ihn abschließen"" [Von Melle after partner's death: "This way I could cope without allegations or anger at him"]. kicker (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  13. ^ Potter, Steven (10 January 2024). "A Climber We Lost: Luis Stitzinger". Climbing. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  14. ^ Axel Klemmer (16 May 2011). "Alix von Melle: Auf dem fünften Achttausender". 4-seasons.de. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Markenbotschafterin: Alix von Melle – Outdoor Blog für Beratung, Know How & Inspiration" (in German). 1 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Alix von Melle: Next exit Everest?". 18 November 2014.
  17. ^ "Bergsteigen: Eine Frau will hoch hinaus – Alix von Melle - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). 25 October 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Four or more challenges on Makalu / All news / News / Аll projects of 7 Summits Club". 7summitsclub.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Alix von Melle und Luis Stitzinger meistern Broad Peak" (in German). 1 August 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Alix von Melle und Luis Stitzinger packen für die nächste Achttausender-Expedition". Kletterszene (in German). 31 March 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  21. ^ "Alix von Melle, Luis Stitzinger, Manaslu". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  22. ^ Lill, Tobias (30 May 2023). "Allgäuer Bergsteiger Luis Stitzinger: Tod im Himalaya". www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Alix von Melle, Bergsteigerin, "Wenn was passiert, dann ist nicht der Berg schuld"". ARD Audiothek (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
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