Hari Budha Magar, a former Gurkha soldier who lost both his legs in Afghanistan, has become the first double above-the-knee amputee to climb Mount Everest. He reached the summit of the world’s tallest mountain at 3 p.m. on Friday, having started the climb on April 17 – exactly 13 years since he lost his legs after an IED explosion.
Mr. Budha Magar, 43, who lives in Canterbury, Kent, faced many challenges and hardships during his ascent. He waited 18 days at the Everest base camp for the weather to clear, saw two dead bodies being dragged down, ran out of oxygen and had his sunglasses and oxygen mask frozen over. He was supported by a team of Nepalese climbers, led by Krish Thapa, also a former Gurkha and SAS mountain troop leader.
The veteran said he wanted to “inspire others” and change perceptions of disability with his feat. “As long as you can adapt your life according to the time and the situation, we can do anything we want. There is no limit, the sky is the limit,” he told AFP last month before heading to the Everest base camp. On his website, his mission was promoted under the slogan “no legs, no limits”.
Mr. Budha Magar said he felt his life was “completely finished” when he lost his lower legs in Afghanistan, battling alcoholism and depression. He took up skiing, golfing, cycling and climbing to regain his confidence. He first thought about climbing Everest when he was walking to school barefoot in Nepal and planned to do so in 2018. However, double amputees and blind people were banned from mountaineering by a Nepalese law. He helped campaign to have the ban removed so he could attempt to summit the peak.
Mr. Budha Magar joins two other below-the-knee amputees – New Zealander Mark Inglis in 2006 and China’s Xia Boyu in 2018 – who have previously reached the peak of Everest. He has also climbed several other peaks including Morocco’s Mount Toubkal, Scotland’s Ben Nevis and Mont Blanc in the Alps.
Reference:
- ‘No legs, no limits’: Gurkha double amputee reaches top of Everest | MSN | May, 22, 2023
- Double-leg amputee in ‘world first’ bid reaches top of Everest | RNZ | May, 21, 2023
- Gurkha in ‘world first’ bid reaches top of Everest | BBC News | May, 21, 2023