An 84-year-old climber who was seeking to set a record for the oldest person to reach the top of the world’s highest peaks was rescued from a mountain in Nepal.
Spanish climber; Carlos Soria was injured while attempting to ascend Mount Dhaulagiri.
He was sent to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment after being lifted from the mountain by a rescue chopper on Thursday. He was injured on Wednesday and was assisted by Sherpa guides and other climbers in returning to base camp.
In addition to Mount Everest, Mr. Soria has climbed 12 of the world’s 14 highest mountains, which are all over 26,240 feet in height.
During the annual spring mountaineering season, when the weather on the mountains is most favorable, hundreds of climbers and their guides attempt to summit the highest peaks in Nepal.
The season starts in March and lasts until May, after which the weather becomes bad and it becomes risky to stay on the summit.
Meanwhile, Kami Rita Sherpa of Nepal broke the previous record for most summits of Mount Everest on Wednesday by climbing to the peak for the 27th time.
According to Mingma Sherpa, the expedition’s organizer, “He successfully reached the summit this morning while guiding a Vietnamese climber,” Agence France-Presse said.
Each spring, when temperatures are mild and winds are usually calm, Nepal welcomes hundreds of adventurers to its eight of the world’s ten tallest peaks, including the 8,849-meter Everest.
The 53-year-old Kami Rita Sherpa had held the overall title since 2018, when he ascended Everest for the 22nd time, passing the previous mark he shared with two other Sherpa climbers, both of whom have since retired.