Paraplegic aims to conquer Qomolangma
KATHMANDU — A wheelchair-bound Australian is aiming to become the first paraplegic to reach the base camp of Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, unaided — a breathless trek he reckons he will make mostly on his hands.
Scott Doolan, 28, sets out Friday for the base camp, which lies 5,364 meters above sea level and is traditionally only accessible on foot or by helicopter. He is out to prove that it is also accessible to wheelchair users.
He used a wheelchair since he was 17 when he broke his spine in a motorcycle accident.
Doolan will be using a specially designed wheelchair with mountain-bike wheels when the trails allow, but thinks he will mostly be on his hands with a friend holding his legs in a move he’s dubbed “wheelbarrowing”.
“I jump out of my chair and my mate Matt, he’ll grab me and hold my ankles and I basically walk on my hands,” he said, explaining a technique that’s similar to the wheelbarrow race of Western school sports days.
Doolan has spent the last eight months training for the trek, doing daily cardiovascular and strength training.
He also spent time in Australia’s Blue Mountains to get some experience on trails, wearing a mask that limits oxygen flow in a bid to replicate the high-altitude conditions that await him in the Himalayas.
The dramatic trek to the base camp begins from Lukla — 140 kilometers east of Kathmandu — and follows an ancient trading route that once linked Nepal and China’s Tibet autonomous region, taking hikers over a soaring pass before dropping down into the lush Khumjung valley.
Watch your step
A series of narrow suspension bridges crisscross the river that runs along the valley floor, before the route climbs sharply toward the base of the highest peak.
Along the route there are steps and narrow paths hewed into the valley wall, forcing hikers to clamber over rocks and occasionally trek in snow or mud, all at an altitude where limited oxygen can cause headaches and nausea, and if left untreated a potentially fatal buildup of fluid in the lungs.
“Hopefully I don’t get altitude sickness,” Doolan said.
Every year, the base camp is transformed into a nylon tent city of around 1,500 people for two months starting in April, when climbers descend on the mountain with the sole aim of reaching its summit.
Meanwhile, around 5,000 trekkers a year take the eight to 10 days to trek to the base, according to figures from Nepal’s tourism department. Doolan expects to take about twice as long and will then have to retrace his route back to Lukla.