Team Forces is extremely proud to be the Presenting Partner and one of the official Charity Partners supporting former Gurkha Hari Budha Magar who wants to become the first double above-knee amputee to climb Mount Everest!
After losing both legs to an IED in Afghanistan in 2010 Hari is determined to change perceptions of what is possible for people with a disability as he attempts to reach the summit of the World’s highest mountain. Hari is now in Nepal preparing for his expedition and hopes to summit in May around the time of King Charles’ Coronation … 70 years after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first summited the mountain in May 1953 and their achievement was announced on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation!
Maj Gen Lamont Kirkland CBE said, “Team Forces is incredibly proud to be helping Hari on his record breaking attempt to be the first double above-knee amputee to climb Mount Everest! This is an extraordinary challenge and Hari’s story of overcoming adversity and disability to achieve greatness is hugely inspiring. His expedition will undoubtedly change perceptions of disability and inspire others to see themselves in a different light.”
Hari said, “Thank you so much Team Forces, what you are doing for me will help make a wider social impact for people with disabilities. This climb isn’t about my own personal achievement, it is about highlighting the collective achievements of many people with disabilities and proving that whatever card you are dealt in life it doesn’t have to be life limiting. Through mountaineering, my plan is to raise awareness about disability – not just in Nepal, but around the world. The support I am receiving is paramount to my expedition and I am delighted that Team Forces will be my Presenting Partner on my Everest climb.”
Hari's Fundraising Appeal
“In May 2023 I am aiming to be the first double above-knee amputee to climb Everest and raise £884,900 for five amazing charities including Team Forces.”
ABOUT THE EXPEDITION
Hari will climb Everest via the South Col route from Nepal. The route weaves through the treacherous Khumbu Ice Fall to the Western Cwm, before heading up the imposing wall of ice that is the Lhotse Face. He will then trek across the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur to the South Col. The South Col is the site of Camp IV, from which Hari will make his summit bid.
His final push will take him via the Balcony, South Summit and the famous Hillary Step. The round trip to the summit from the South Col can take up to 18 hours for an average person. The expedition has planned two extra camps for their ascent, if they are needed. Hari uses three times more energy than the average climber, and this journey will take him three times as long so he and his team will need three times as many oxygen tanks, all of which must be carried up and down the mountain. Cutting-edge equipment and technology is important, but this is a true test of Hari’s human limits, both physical and mental.
Hari has to contend with all the usual challenges of snow, ice, wind and treacherous terrain while having to crawl much of it on his hands and – without knees – several sets of prosthetic limbs and feet. One set of feet is armed with spikes for the toughest part of the 29,000ft climb. Hari and his team of ten must climb at night when the snow is firmer and easier for his legs which are far shorter than those of most climbers. To prevent frostbite developing inside his prosthetic limbs, they are fitted with heating elements. And since he will use his hands more than other climbers, he’ll need multiple pairs of gloves. In the run-up to the climb, it’s vital he neither gains nor loses weight as this will affect the fit of the prosthetics and during the climb he must not sweat too much as perspiration will freeze inside them. Frostbite would be catastrophic.
This expedition will be led by Krishna Thapa from HST Adventures. Krishna is one of the most experienced and world-renowned climbers. Krishna has led multiple successful Everest expeditions, along with K2, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu and many others. Hari and Krishna have been training together since 2016 and Krishna has led all of Hari’s record breaking expeditions to date. The rest of the team consists of UK and US veterans along with some of the most experienced Sherpas in the world.
Hari says: “When you go to the mountain, you don’t want to go with someone you don’t trust because everyone will be struggling at some point. Even if I die, I want someone there to bring my body to my family. It’s like being on the battlefield, you need to give that assurance to the people who are fighting for their lives.”
Images supplied by Hari Budha Magar
