Soldier who lost his legs in Afghanistan climbs Everest: 'Just had to carry on'



Gurkha veteran Hari Budha Magar lost both his legs in Afghanistan while serving with the British Army. Though maimed, Magar was never defeated. On Friday, the 43-year-old successfully soldiered up the world's tallest mountain.

Two double amputees have previously climbed to the top of Mount Everest in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas: Mark Inglis of New Zealand in 2006 and Xia Boyu of China in 2018. Magar is, however, the first person with above-the-knee amputations to have successfully summited the peak.

The Guardian reported that Magar, a father of three, left his native Nepal to serve as a corporal in the Gurkha regiment in the British Army. The Gurkha soldiers, whose motto is "Better to die than be a coward," are known for carrying their 18-inch kukri knife into battle even to this day.

After losing his legs to an improvised explosive device in 2010, Magar had figured his life was "completely finished."

"I grew up in Nepal, up to age of 19, and I saw how the disabled people were treated in those remote village," said Magar. "Many people still think that disability is a sin of previous life and you are the burden of the earth. I believed this myself because that is what I saw. That is how I grew up."

The veteran, who now lives in Canterbury, England, battled alcoholism and depression after the explosion. Nevertheless, Magar persevered.

The veteran, whose motto has been "no legs, no limits," eventually helped strike down a ban on both double amputees and blind people climbing Everest, thereby ensuring he would have a chance at simultaneously surmounting nature and his injuries.

The BBC reported that Magar, hoping to "inspire others" and "change perceptions on disability," set off on May 6 with a team of Nepalese climbers, lead by Krish Thapa, a fellow Gurkha veteran and British special forces mountain troop leader.

According to Magar's Twitter account, he "stood victorious" atop Everest around 3 p.m. on May 19, noting, "Disability is no barrier to reaching the 8,849 metre peak."

Magar told his team down below via satellite phone, "That was tough. Harder than I could have ever imagined."

"We just had to carry on and push for the top, no matter how much it hurt or how long it take," said Magar. "If I can climb to the top of the world, then anyone, regardless of their disability, can achieve their dream. No matter how big your dreams, no matter how challenging your disability, with the right mindset anything is possible."

The former soldier indicated that when things got particularly tough climbing the mountain, where temperatures can plunge to -117.4°F and winds can gust around 175 mph, he thought about his family and everyone who helped him get onto the mountain.

"As long as you can adapt your life according to the time and the situation, we can do anything we want," stressed Magar.

Since returning safely to base camp, Magar has redirected his energies to raising money for five veterans' charities. The climber is expected back in Kathmandu on Monday.

\u201cOn May 19th 2023, @hari_budha_magar and his team made history by becoming the first double above-knee amputee to reach the top of Mount Everest. Despite losing his legs in Afghanistan 13 years ago, he proves that disability is no barrier. #Everest70 #HariBudhaMagar #Inspiration\u201d
— Everest 70 (@Everest 70) 1684616604

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Black climbers will climb Mt. Everest to break down 'intentional lack of access for black people'



A group of black mountain climbers are gearing up to summit Mt. Everest this year with the stated mission of exposing what they claim is the racism and "colonial history" embedded in mountaineering.

Only one black American has ever reached the summit of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world at 29,032 feet. But a group of nine highly experienced mountaineers could change that in May.

The group, under the name Full Circle Everest Expedition, say they hope to "change the narrative" about black mountaineers.

"I hear ‘black people don’t do that,' all the time when I talk about my climbing," one member of the team, 28-year-old Rosemary Saal, told the Washington Post. "That only perpetuates the stereotypes. It’s important to change the narrative."

Image source: YouTube screenshot

In fact, Saal said the group wants to tear down what she characterized as "intentional" barriers to mountain climbing for black individuals.

"There’s been an intentional lack of access for Black people. When [New Zealand explorer Edmund] Hillary first summited [Everest], black people couldn’t even vote in this country," Saal said. “This expedition is all about showing, ‘Yes, we can do this.'"

"The expedition is very timely, as I think many brands and organizations are beginning to recognize the colonial history of mountain climbing," Saal also told the newspaper.

Summit Fever - The FIFTY | Mt. St. Elias - Climbing & Skiing a Mythical Mountain www.youtube.com

Full Circle is crowdfunding the expedition, and the group has raised more than $150,000 of $200,000 to date. The group's GoFundMe page states its mission is to help "reshape the narrative" about outdoors experiences.

"Everest is not the end goal, but just the beginning. Our expedition will reshape the narrative of the outdoors to one that is inclusive and where everyone belongs. Each member of this team has a powerful story to share," the page states. "Together, we speak to many histories, traditions, and ancestries."

While it is true that of the more than 10,000 people who have summited Mt. Everest only 10 have been black, climbing the world's tallest mountain is a dangerous task with barriers for most people.

In fact, after one of the deadliest climbing seasons in 2019, Nepal instituted new rules for mountaineers hoping to summit Mt. Everest. Those requirements included proof of physical ability and experience summiting mountains of more than 6,500 meters.

Considering that multiple people die every season while trying to summit Mt. Everest, it would seem that physical aptitude is the greatest barrier to successfully climbing the world's tallest peak.