Double-amputee mountaineer climbs tallest mountain in southern hemisphere
A Gurkha veteran who lost both legs serving in Afghanistan has set a new record becoming the first double above-knee amputee to reach the summit of the highest peak outside of Asia.
Hari Budha Magar, 45, made history when he reached the summit of Mount Everest, at 8,849 metres, in 2023, becoming the first double above-knee (DAK) amputee to attempt and complete this challenge.
He has now set another world first after making it to the top of the 6961 metre Mount Aconcagua, in the Andes mountain range in the Mendoza region of Argentina on Saturday.
Mr Budha Magar, who is aiming to climb the highest peak in each of the seven continents by the end of the year, said completing this challenge has given him the confidence to finish the final two.
'I'm very pleased that we made it, as it's the second highest mountain in the world after Mt Everest and the highest in the southern hemisphere,' Mr Budha Magar told the PA news agency from Plaza de Mulas base camp at Mount Aconcagua.
The father-of-three, from Canterbury in Kent, set out with his team from Mendoza, Argentina, on February 9, completing the challenge in under two weeks.
The journey involved multiple camps, severe winds and challenging rocky terrain.
Mr Budha Magar said reaching the summit was the most difficult part as he needed to change legs on the snow and ice during the descent.
'This is the highest mountain I have done without oxygen,' he said.
'When I was on the top, I had lots of headaches until I came down.'
Rami Rasamny, the climb leader from Life Happens Outdoors team – who led the expedition, said: 'Hari was an inspiration beyond words.
'There wasn't a person who didn't stop in awe at this incredible human being, humble, good humoured and always smiling all whilst scaling one of the most challenging summits amongst the seven.'
Mr Budha Magar joined the Royal Gurkha Rifles at the age of 19. While serving in Afghanistan he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) and lost both legs in 2010, aged 31.
He said growing up in Nepal, people with disabilities were seen as a 'burden of the earth' and disability was perceived as a sin from previous lives.
When Mr Budha Magar was first injured, he said he was unable to shower or brush his teeth independently and became depressed.
He found purpose through sports and climbing and decided to make it his mission to show the world what people with disabilities can do.
He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours for services to disability awareness last year.
'I'm trying to do my bit to give some hope and optimism to the people with disabilities or people who are feeling low,' he said.
'I'm trying to raise awareness of disability all around the world, because disabled people can do anything.'
Mr Budha Magar successfully campaigned to the Supreme Court in Nepal to overturn a ban on people with disabilities climbing Everest, in 2018, before making mountaineering history himself in 2023.
For the Everest challenge, prosthetic legs had to be specifically designed for Mr Budha Magar, because no legs for climbing mountains existed for DAK amputees.
For his Seven Summits challenge he has already climbed Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, Mount Everest the highest peak in the world, Mount McKinley, the highest mountain peak in North America and now Mount Aconcagua, the second highest of the seven summits.
Later this year, he will take on Puncak Jaya in Indonesia, and Mount Vinson, Antarctica, to complete his challenge.
'After summiting the second highest mountain, I think this will give me more confidence to complete the other two I have left,' he said.
Mr Budha Magar plans to celebrate his most recent achievement with some Argentinian barbecue and Mendoza wine.
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