At 85, he aims to regain title on Mt. Everest
A Nepali who was once the oldest climber to scale Mount Everest is attempting to regain that title, at age 85, with hopes that the feat will help him spread a message of peace.
Min Bahadur Sherchan plans to climb the 8,850-meteR peak next month during a window of favorable weather on the summit.
“I want to be the oldest person to scale Everest again to be an inspiration for humankind, a boost for the elderly people and an encouragement for youths,” Sherchan said Wednesday at his home in Kathmandu. “It will be a message for everyone that age is no obstacle to achieving their dreams.”
The grandfather of 17 and great-grandfather of six first scaled Everest in May 2008, when he was 76, but his record was broken by then 80-year-old Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura in 2013.
Sherchan’s attempt to climb Everest in 2013 was cut short because of financial problems and delays in getting the climbing permit. Another try in 2015 was canceled because an avalanche triggered by devastating earthquake swept the base camp, killing 19 people just a day before he reached the site.
“I am confident that I will succeed this time. The only problem could be weather,” Sherchan said. He has no respiratory problems and his blood pressure is normal.
Being born in the mountains, he has one big advantage over most climbers: He is used to the altitude. High-altitude sickness can be fatal for people who are not acclimated to the thin air and low oxygen levels. He said he is worried only about the five kilograms he gained in the last few months.
Sherchan’s love of mountaineering began in 1960 when he was assigned by the Nepalese government as a liaison officer for the Swiss team climbing Mount Dhaulagiri. He later became an apple farmer and constructed roads and dams before settling down to run hotels in Kathmandu.
He and his team of six guides and helpers leave for the mountain Sunday. “After I become the oldest Everest climber, people will listen to my campaign for world peace,” he said.