Amputee Chinese climber makes another attempt to summit Mt. Qomolangma

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Xia Boyu, a double amputee climber from China, has arrived in Nepal for another attempt to climb Mt. Qomolangma this spring.

Along with the 69-year-old Xia, six other Chinese climbers will also climb the world's tallest mountain, according to Imagine Trek and Expedition Private Limited, a Nepali company which is organizing the expedition of the Chinese team.

This is the fifth attempt by Xia to climb Mt. Qomolangma after losing two legs due to severe frostbite during his first attempt in 1975. He was a member of the Chinese national mountaineering team that tried to scale the mountain that year, but had to return empty handed due to bad weather after getting close to the summit.

Xia Boyu, a double amputee climber from China. /VCG Photo

He has already made three other attempts to climb the mountain since 2014. His last attempt had resulted in failure in 2016 due to bad weather after reaching about 100 meters below the summit.

The online version of local daily The Himalayan Times quoted Xia as saying that he was determined to conquer Mt. Qomolangma this time to end the over 40-year-long battle with the world's tallest mountain.

Xia could get another opportunity to realize his dream of conquering the mountain after Nepal's Supreme Court on March 7 stayed the Nepali government's decision to prohibit double amputees, people without arms and legs, and blind people from attempting to climb mountains in Nepal.

Xia Boyu does exercises at home. /People's Daily Photo

Dinesh Bhattarai, director general of Nepal's Department of Tourism, told Xinhua on Tuesday that they permitted Xia to climb Mt Qomolangma last week in line with the Supreme Court decision.

After getting a permit from the department on March 29, a seven-member team of Chinese climbers arrived in Nepal on April 2, according to Imagine Trek and Expedition.

"They will start the expedition from April 5," Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, managing director of the company, told Xinhua.

Sherpa, who is himself one of the team members in this expedition, said that seven Chinese, one Belgian, one Canadian and 14 Nepali climbers will be attempting to summit Mt. Qomolangma.

"We hope to reach the summit by the second week of May provided weather conditions remain favorable," said Sherpa.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency