Alexandru Găvan Explained

Alex Găvan (born 19 May 1982) is a leading Romanian mountaineer specializing in Himalayan climbing of 8,000 meter peaks without using supplemental oxygen or sherpa support in his ascents. By now he had successfully climbed seven 8,000 meter peaks.

Since 2006, Găvan runs a special project to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter mountains in the world. He is the first Romanian climber to reach the summit of Gasherbrum I, Makalu, and Shishapangma. His other three successful climbs of Cho Oyu, Manaslu, and Broad Peak are second Romanian ascents. In 2006, with the successful ascent of Cho Oyu, he became at 24 years old the youngest Romanian ever to have climbed an eight thousand meter peak and was among the few who freely spoke about the Nangpa La shootings.^[1] He was awarded with "The 2007 Romanian Sportsman of the Year in High Altitude Mountaineering" by the Romanian Federation of Alpinism and Sport Climbing for the first Romanian ascent of Gasherbrum I.^[2]

8,000 m+ mountains summited

• 2006: Cho Oyu (8,201 m) - second Romanian ascent, without bottled oxygen ^[3]
• 2007: Gasherbrum I (8,080 m) – first Romanian ascent, without bottled oxygen, alpine style^[4]
• 2008: Makalu (8,485 m) – first Romanian ascent, without bottled oxygen ^{[5] [6]}
• 2011: Manaslu (8,156 m) – second Romanian ascent, without bottled oxygen ^{[7] [8]}
• 2013: Shishapangma (8,027 m) - first Romanian ascent, without bottled oxygen
• 2014: Broad Peak (8,047 m) - second Romanian ascent, without bottled oxygen
• 2019: Gasherbrum II (8,035 m) - third Romanian ascent, without bottled oxygen

Other notable ascents

• 2004: Chapaeva (6,130 m)
• 2005: Mont Blanc (4,810 m) – Miage–Bionnassay route

Notes

In 2007 and 2008, Găvan attempted Gasherbrum II (8,034 m), but due to bad weather and high risk of avalanches, he was forced to retreat, both times, at 7,000 m.^[9]

External links

• Alexandru Găvan’s personal website
• Alex Gavan, Viata ca-n montagne-russe
• Alex’s short movies on top of Cho Oyu, Gasherbrum I and Makalu

Notes and References

1. http://explorersweb.com/everest_k2/news.php?id=15159/ Romanian Nangpa La report: "Tibetans were hunted like rats"
2. Web site: fralpinism.ro. https://web.archive.org/web/20120304151719/http://www.fralpinism.ro/index.php?cat=133&id=155. dead. 4 March 2012. www.fralpinism.ro. 22 April 2023.
3. Web site: cloudclimbing.ro. www.cloudclimbing.ro. 22 April 2023.
4. Web site: Explorersweb.
5. Web site: fralpinism.ro. www.fralpinism.ro. 22 April 2023.
6. Web site: Explorersweb.
7. Web site: Alex Găvan, de patru ori pe acoperişul lumii! Vezi cum arată lumea de la opt mii de metri!. adevarul.ro. 22 April 2023.
8. Web site: Explorersweb.
9. Web site: cloudclimbing.ro. www.cloudclimbing.ro. 22 April 2023.