Heinrich Harrer

Heinrich Harrer (German: [ˈhaɪnʁɪç ˈhaʁɐ]; 6 July 1912 – 7 January 2006) was an Austrian mountaineer, explorer, writer, sportsman, geographer, and SS sergeant. He was a member of the four-man climbing team that made the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, the "last problem" of the Alps. While on expedition in the Indian Himalayas, Harrer and his group were arrested by British forces because of the outbreak of World War II and he escaped to Tibet, staying there until 1951 and never seeing active combat. He wrote the books Seven Years in Tibet (1952) and The White Spider (1959).