After losing his feet over 4 decades ago, the 69 year old Chinese climber reaches mount Everest summit.
In the early hours of today, Xia Boyu, a double amputee man reached the highest point of Mount Everest at his fifth attempt. According to Xia’s son, Cloud Xia, he reached the highest point at about 8:26 this morning.
“My Dad reached Everest at 8:26 Nepal time!!! Has realized his 40 years dream!!!”
The organiser of the Mount Everest bid, Dawa Futi Sherpa of Imagine Trek and Expedition said
“He reached the summit this morning, along with seven other members of his team,”
His dream of reaching the summit came after the ban on double amputee climbers attempting the world’s highest peak was cancelled by the Nepalese government. Last December, the government of Nepalese placed a ban on disabled people from climbing the mountain. The ban was for no other reason but for the safety of disabled and solo climbers. The top court in Nepal overturned the ban two months ago as it discriminates the disabled people from climbing.
Xia Boyu’s first attempt to climb Mount Everest was in 1975 but he could not make it as bad weather prevented him and there, he suffered frostbite which made him lose his feet. Years after, he was diagnosed of blood cancer which led to the amputation of his legs. Just to make his dream come true, he kept on trying. He attempted to climb the mountain again in 2014 and 2015 but due to some disaster, his seasons were cancelled.
While speaking with AFP before embarking on his fifth adventure to the Everest, Xia Boyu said it’s his dream to climb mount Everest.
“Climbing Mount Everest is my dream. I have to realise it. It also represents a personal challenge, a challenge of fate,”
Mark Inglis, a climber from New Zealand was the first double amputee to ever reach the highest point of the mountain. He achieved this feat in 2006 while Santiago Quintero, a climber from Ecuador reached the peak in 2013. A single amputee American climber, Jeff Glasbrenner climbed in 2017.
News source: journal.ie
The adventure of climbing Mount Everest is for the brave. Would you dare to try it.
