A Kenyan mountaineer has perished, while a Nepali sherpa is missing, after attempting to scale Everest without extra oxygen support.
Forty-year-old Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui was discovered deceased around 20 meters from the peak of Mount Everest, a Nepalese Department of Tourism representative informed CNN.
The guide, who is 44 years old and named Nawang Sherpa, is still missing, and an expedition agency has been searching for him according to Gautam Khim Lal, a spokesperson for the department. He spoke to CNN from the mountain's base.
Kirui, who is a banker in Nairobi, and his guide were reported missing after losing radio contact early on a Wednesday. A rescue team started looking for them in camps and paths on the gigantic mountain, Khim Lal confirmed.
Kirui's body was detected on Wednesday night local time in Nepal, approximately 28,970 feet (8,830 meters) above sea level.
His employer, KCB Bank, identified him as "a passionate athlete and mountaineer" and stated that he was "the second Kenyan to summit Mt Everest" in a post on LinkedIn.
Kirui shared his brave attempt to reach the apex of Everest without extra oxygen in his last Instagram post. "A no-oxygen attempt requires particular preparations and risks," he wrote, outlining the precautions he was taking.
He listed the medications he would bring for any possible illnesses or frostbite and stated that his guide would also bring along an emergency oxygen container.
"And so, after significant investments physically, mentally, timewise (this expedition takes more than a month from a routine 9-to-5 banker), financially (the number of zeros required to make this possible means I declare bankruptcy as soon as I return to Kenya)... it's now the moment of truth," he expressed.
Comments offering congratulations and good wishes on Instagram were rapidly altered to messages of condolence after it was announced that his body had been discovered.
Kirui was an outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed ultramarathons and scaled some of the world's most challenging mountains, according to his colleagues.
"His indomitable spirit and unwavering passion for mountaineering led him to conquer the world's most breathtaking landscapes," KCB Group CEO Paul Russo reflected, mentioning his recent achievements on Mount Mamaslu and Mt Everest as evidence of his adventurous nature and determination.
Mount Everest, the highest peak in the Himalayan mountain range, is also the tallest mountain on Earth, reaching 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level on the border between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region in China. Over 300 people are known to have perished on the mountain.
The best season to ascend Everest is the spring, although some mountaineers may choose to climb it during the autumn. The majority of climbers try to reach the summit in May. There is a temporary window of time – normally after mid-May – when temperatures are warmer and the high-altitude winds known as the jet stream have shifted away from the mountains.
Reporting contributed by CNN’s Sugam Pokharel.
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Despite the perils faced by mountaineers in their quest to conquer Mount Everest, the allure of summiting the world's highest peak continues to draw adventurous souls from around the globe. In particular, the Americas have been a breeding ground for aspirants, boasting numerous successful climbers who share a common passion for overcoming nature's challenges.
Source: edition.cnn.com
