Pamplona, Spain  - Veteran Spanish mountain climber Inaki Ochoa de Olza, 41, died Friday at an altitude of 7,400 metres on Nepal's Annapurna mountain, his friends said in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona.

Ochoa had been in a serious condition for five days after suffering brain and lung damage.

He passed away despite the attempts of Swiss climber Ueli Steck, who had brought him medicines and tried to give him first aid. Other climbers were on their way to the site. Helicopters cannot operate at such a high altitude.

Ochoa's Romanian companion Horia Colibasanu, who suffered from less serious health problems, began the descent after Steck's arrival.

Ochoa had given up his plans of reaching the peak of Annapurna at 8,091 metres after his hands suffered from the cold.

Ochoa had climbed the Himalaya mountains 30 times. He had climbed 12 of the world's 14 mountain peaks of more than 8,000 metres.

"I don't have any illusions. If one day I get sick up there, I will stay up there," he once said.

Swiss mountain climber Uwe Goltz, 45, meanwhile died while coming down from the top of Mount Everest, the agency that organized the expedition was quoted by Spanish reports as saying.

The climber formed part of a Swiss expedition. Details were not yet known about his passing, said Pralahd Chapagain of the agency Iceland Trekking. (dpa)