Hermann Buhl's Meth-Fueled Solo Summit

In 1953, Austrian mountaineer Hermann Buhl completed the first ascent of Nanga Parbat in the western Himalayas, making it the only first ascent of an 8,000-meter peak achieved solo. Buhl left Camp V around 2:00 a.m. without bottled oxygen or a rope and used Pervitin, a methamphetamine-based stimulant, along with Padutin and coca tea. He reached the summit at 7:00 p.m. after a 17-hour climb. Darkness forced him to spend the night standing on a narrow ledge near 7,900 meters, and he returned to camp after 41 hours alone.

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