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A former Gurkha soldier in the British army who lost both his legs in Afghanistan has reached the top of Mount Everest, making mountaineering history.
Hari Budha Magar, 43, has become the first double above-the-knee amputee to summit the world’s tallest mountain.
The veteran arrived at Everest in Nepal on April 17, exactly 13 years since his legs were destroyed by an IED in Afghanistan in 2010.
But he had to wait until May 19 to reach the summit and he was forced to spend 18 days waiting at the Everest base camp for the weather to clear.

While climbing up, the veteran and his crew faced freezing conditions and Budha Magar saw two dead bodies being dragged down.
Even when the conditions were safe to reach the summit, the poor weather meant his sunglasses and oxygen mask were frozen over and he had just a few minutes at the top.
Speaking to the Press Association news agency from the Mount Everest base camp, he said: “All of my jackets were completely freezing. It was all frozen. Even our warm water, we put hot water in the Thermos, and that was also frozen and we were not able to drink.
“When I came down we ran out of oxygen. The guys came up with oxygen … I was bumping down on my bum and we had 30, 40 minutes of oxygen, and we still had about two, three hours to get down.”
Chinese, Indian climbers die during separate Everest expeditions
Budha Magar first wanted to climb the mountain when he was walking to school barefoot.
He left Nepal to serve as a corporal with the Gurkha regiment in the British army before his life-changing injury.
The veteran said he believed his life was “completely finished” after losing his lower legs and he struggled to climb into a wheelchair or to transfer into a car.
He said: “I grew up in Nepal, up to age of 19, and I saw how the disabled people were treated in those remote villages.
“`Many people still think that disability is a sin of previous life and you are the burden of the earth. I believed this myself because that is what I saw. That is how I grew up.”
He continued: “It was a pretty hard time and at one point I was just drinking too much, to just control my pain and emotions and all the things, and I tried to kill myself a couple of times.”


But after trying out a range of sports and adventures with military charities, Budha Magar got his confidence back and gave up drinking.
Originally the veteran planned to climb Everest in 2018 but double amputees and blind people were banned from climbing the mountain in a bid to reduce the number of climbers dying on the peak.
The veteran helped campaign to have the ban removed so he could attempt to summit the peak.
Since then more double amputees have come to climb in Nepal, says Budha Magar.
Climb 14 highest peaks, twice: tick. What’s next for record-breaking sherpa?
To complete the challenge the veteran had to get specially designed prosthetic legs that could cope with the ice and snow, which he describes as his “spider legs”.
He said: “When I climb, I use different legs and we have installed heating socks to make it warm so that I don’t lose any more limbs, because I can’t afford to lose more. I just climb one step at a time.”
Once he is down from the mountain, Budha Magar is looking forward to spending time with his family at their home in Canterbury, England.
The veteran also wants to return to Afghanistan to the site when he lost his legs so he can say “thank you”.
He said: “Without [losing my legs], I wouldn’t be climbing Everest, and so it wouldn’t even count much. Whatever happens, it happens for good.”


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At just 18, he’s already climbed all the highest peaks on Earth

Nepal

Double amputee climber makes history on Mount Everest

Hari Budha Magar in Kathmandu. The Gurkha veteran scaled Mount Everest on Friday, becoming the first double above-the-knee amputee to do so. Photo: AFP

Mountaineers climb Mount Everest in Nepal. Photo: AFP / Getty Images / TNS

Chinese, Indian climbers die during separate Everest expeditions

Eight climbers, including a Chinese and Indian national, have died on Mount Everest during the current season which started in March. Photo: AFP

Mountaineers climb the Hillary Step during their ascent of the south face to the summit Mount Everest, in Nepal. Photo: TNS

First Indian woman to scale five peaks over 8,000m says climbing brings her ‘peace, happiness’

Indian mountaineer Priyanka Mohite at Mt Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak. Photo: Handout

Priyanka Mohite at Mt Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest peak. Photo: Handout

Priyanka Mohite scales Annapurna 1, known for its difficult ascent. Photo: Handout

Priyanka Mohite at the peak of Mt Lhotse in 2018. Photo: Handout

Priyanka Mohite and her team scale Mt Annapurna 1 in 2021. Photo: Handout

Priyanka Mohite at the top of Mt Kanchenjunga, her most difficult climb. Photo: Handout

Priyanka Mohite on the Mt Makalu expedition in 2019. Photo Handout

Chinese climbers get bulk of Everest permits as Nepal issues record 454 for season

Tents of climbers are pictured at the Everest base camp. Photo: AFP

A helicopter prepares to land during a search and rescue operation for three Nepali climbers who went missing on Mount Everest on April 12, 2023. Photo: AFP

Nepal’s Gurkhas pay respects to their last Victoria Cross hero, awarded for his bravery

Mourners gather near the coffin of Ram Bahadur Limbu, the last living Gurkha recipient of the British Victoria Cross. Photo: AFP

Gurkha soldiers place wreaths by the coffin of Ram Bahadur Limbu at the British Gurkhas office in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: AP

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Hari Budha Magar has become the first double above-the-knee amputee to summit the world’s tallest mountain
The former Gurkha soldier in the British army, who lost both his legs in Afghanistan, arrived at Everest on April 17 but had to wait until May 19 to reach the summit


Hari Budha Magar, a former Gurkha soldier in the British army who lost both his legs in Afghanistan, arrived at Everest on April 17 but had to wait until May 19 to reach the summit.


Double amputee climber makes history on Mount Everest

Hari Budha Magar has become the first double above-the-knee amputee to summit the world’s tallest mountain The former Gurkha soldier in the British army, who lost both his legs in Afghanistan, arrived at Everest on April 17 but had to wait until May 19 to reach the summit

Hari Budha Magar has become the first double above-the-knee amputee to summit the world’s tallest mountain

The former Gurkha soldier in the British army, who lost both his legs in Afghanistan, arrived at Everest on April 17 but had to wait until May 19 to reach the summit