Japanese alpinist Tetsu Hashimoto (2001–2026) was a young climber from Tokyo whose short climbing career was already marked by difficult, exploratory ascents. He graduated from Tokyo University of Agriculture in 2023 and was a member of the alpine climbing team Sansai Tori Online. Hashimoto climbed extensively in Japan and abroad, including El Capitan’s The Nose and Zodiac in Yosemite and routes in Canada. In Pakistan, he was part of the first ascent of the west face of Rahman Zom (6,350 m) and the first ascent of the north face of Shiyko Zom (5,709 m). He had also won his age category at Japan’s demanding Hasegawa Tsuneo Cup mountain endurance race. In autumn 2026, the 25-year-old travelled to Nepal with Hidesuke Taneishi for what he described as his most difficult expedition yet: an alpine-style attempt on unclimbed Gangapurna West, involving a wall of around 1,700 metres. The pair lost contact on October 15 after reaching around 7,000 metres. Their bodies were found on October 23 on Gangapurna’s southern side after a multi-day aerial and drone search. Photo ©: Mashu Kawasaki.