Adventure #238

Hari on the summit of Everest - Image by Shantanepali Productions Jeet Bahadur Tamang 2
"When things got really tough
it was the thought of my
amazing family and everyone
who's helped me get onto the
mountain that pushed me to
the top."
With half of the team back at Basecamp, and others climbing
down from camp two – the climb team will be resting before
Hari departs back for the UK.
Hari and his climb team summitted Everest 70 years after
Edmund Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first
people to stand atop the world's highest peak in May 1953.
“I first planned this expedition back in 2018, but it feels a little
more special to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Everest's
first summit, with another world first,” says Hari.
“My big goals where simply to change perceptions on
disability and to inspire other people to climb their own
mountains. No matter how big your dreams, no matter how
challenging your disability, with the right mindset anything is
possible.”
Hari is urging supporters from around the world to dig deep
as he raises money for five veteran charities including Team
Forces, the Gurkha Welfare Trust, Pilgrim Bandits, Blesma,
and On Course Foundation, with the aim of raising over
£884,900, the height of Everest plus two zeros.
To support Hari’s Everest appeal, visit
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/harieverestappeal
To make this climb happen, Hari has been supported by
over 30 organisations including Team Forces, Barratt
Developments, Branding Science Group, Ottobock,
Therabody, the Oriental Club and over 600 individuals.
Support for which he is immensely grateful and without
which the attempt would not have happened, and the chance
to inspire others and change perceptions.
Just as we were going to print we received this update
from Hari himself...
“It took 25 hours climbing from camp 4 to the summit and then
back to camp 4. We started 21:50 and arrived back 23:00 next
day.
“The journey wasn’t easy, we had to make some tough
decisions along the way, but we made it.
“The climb didn’t go entirely to plan because of weather
conditions. We were supposed to put Camp 5 at Balcony, but
we didn’t because the weather made it too dangerous.
“The first summit push climb from Camp 4 was horrible. It was
so bad that when we returned from the Balcony, one team
member suggested that we finish, and go down.
“As we went back up to the summit, we had to go so slow and
hunker down at times and wait for weather to improve. This
meant oxygen supplies ran low and some people had to turn
back for their and teams’ overall safety.
“I also wanted to give up at least 3 times when half of team
had gone. The Sherpas, which included my brother, reassured
me we could make it and the oxygen will last but even they
could not predict how long conditions would delay and supplies
would run low.
“As a team we pushed hard and five us made it to the summit.
My brother, Nanda Bahadur Budha Magar, Mingma Sharpa,
Pasang Sherpa, Jit Bahadur Tamang and I did it!
“We reached the top of the world!
“But then we had to get back down with little oxygen, very late
in the day for an Everest summit with an ice storm coming in.
“Two Sherpa’s were nearly finished their oxygen at Hillary Step
on way down, so they left the me and last other team members
to rightly preserve their lives. My oxygen was about to finish on
South Summit, I was never scared my life like that before even
when I was injured and crashed my car.
“Once my oxygen finished, one Sherpa gave me his oxygen
and went back down. Now, I and my brother left with very little
oxygen enough for 30-45 minutes but we had to go long way
down. I felt like here is some oxygen take it and die when it
finishes. We looked for some of the oxygen bottles left on
mountain, but they were all empty.
“I told my brother who was with me to go, I just went down
on my bum down all the way to wall of Camp 4. We had no
radios, but we had satphone, so able to call base camp and
relay messages to camp 4. Finally, a sherpa from camp 4
came up with oxygen and hot water and met us below the
balcony and saved us! Later two other Sherpas come for
assistance and took us to Camp 4.
“The immediate danger then passed. Over the coming two
days the team and I went down to camp 3, then 2 and back to
base camp.
“The team and I are now back at base camp with some having
moved off the mountain to receive treatment from injuries on
the mountain, like my brother who got hit by rocks.
“This experience has really hit home for me that if we are
passionate, disciplined, work hard and believe in ourselves,
nothing can stop us from achieving our dream. We proved that
- nothing is Impossible.”
6//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#238