Amputee Chinese climber makes another attempt to summit Mt. Qomolangma

KATHMANDU, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Xia Boyu, a double amputee climber from China, has arrived in Nepal to make another attempt to climb Mt. Qomolangma this spring.

Along with the 69-year-old Xia, other six Chinese climbers will also climb the world's tallest mountain, according to Imagine Trek and Expedition Private Limited, a Nepali company which is organizing expedition of the Chinese team.

This is the fifth attempt from Xia to climb the Mt. Qomolangma after losing two legs due to severe frostbite during his first attempt in 1975. He was the member of the Chinese national mountaineering team that tried to scale the mountain that year but had to return empty handed due to bad weather after reaching close to summit.

He has already made other three attempts to climb the mountain since 2014. His last attempt had resulted in failure in 2016 due to bad weather after reaching about 100 meters below the summit.

Online version of local Himalayan Times daily reported quoting Xia that he was determined to conquer the Mt. Qomolangma this time to end the over 40-year long battle with the world's tallest mountain.

Xia could get another opportunity to realize his dream of conquering the mountain after Nepal's Supreme Court on March 7 stayed the Nepali government's decision to prohibit double amputees, persons without arms and legs and blind persons from attempting to climbing mountains in Nepal.

Dinesh Bhattarai, director general of Nepal's Department of Tourism told Xinhua on Tuesday that they permitted Xia to climb the Mt Qomolangma last week in line with the Supreme Court decision.

After getting permit from the department on March 29, a seven-member team of Chinese climbers arrived Nepal on April 2, according to Imagine Trek and Expedition.

"They will start expedition from April 5," Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, managing director of the company told Xinhua.

Sherpa who is himself one of the team members in this expedition said that seven Chinese, one Belgian, one Canadian and 14 Nepali Nepali climbers will be attempting to summit the Mt. Qomolangma.

"We hope to reach the summit by the second week of May provided weather condition remains favourable," said Sherpa. Enditem