Climber Plans To Scale Mount Everest After Frostbite Failure
At its summit, Mount Everest stands a staggering twenty-nine thousand feet tall. For comparison’s sake, that starts to approach the altitude of the average plane’s flight — which means that anyone who wants to climb the mountain on foot is in for a rough time. That hasn’t stopped men and women from giving it a try, but for some, the risks might be too much to handle.
Nobukazu Kuriki is the latest to want a summit visit, but he may not be ready for the harsh trial to come. For starters, he’s already failed to climb Everest four times in the past six years; on top of that, frostbite has cost him nine fingers. His spirit is willing, naturally, but the conditions might add even more complications. Statistically, those that climb in autumn only have a thirty-three percent chance of success, compared to the sixty-six percent chance in spring — and since Kuriki has already suffered from frostbite, he’s taking a very big risk.
Although the climber has opted to go it alone, he can still get help and abandon the mountain if things go awry again. Still, there are those out there that are pining for his success; following an earthquake in April, the climbing industry has taken a major downturn in Nepal. Kuriki’s success could mean reviving that industry as well as fulfilling a personal goal — so one can only hope he makes it to the top safely.
