On May 19, 2023, at 3:10 PM local time, the roof of the world witnessed a feat that redefined the boundaries of human potential. Hari Budha Magar, a 43-year-old former Gurkha soldier from Nepal, stood on the summit of Mount Everest (8,848.86 meters). While hundreds of climbers have stood on that same snowy pinnacle, Budha Magar’s arrival was different. He became the first-ever double above-knee amputee to summit the world's highest peak, using custom-made prosthetic legs to achieve a dream that many deemed impossible .
His journey from the battlefields of Afghanistan to the
"Death Zone" of Everest is not just a story of physical endurance; it
is a powerful narrative of resilience, a landmark legal battle against
discrimination, and a global mission to change the perception of disability.
From the Hills of Rolpa to the British Army
Born in 1979 in a cowshed at an altitude of 2,500 meters in
the remote village of Mirul in the Rolpa district, Budha Magar's connection to
the mountains was forged early . Growing up in the foothills of the Himalayas, he was
surrounded by peaks like Dhaulagiri, yet the idea of climbing Everest seemed
like an impossible fantasy for a child from a poor farming family. He walked
barefoot to school, was forced into marriage at the age of 11, and grew up
amidst the turmoil of the Nepalese Civil War .
At 19, he seized a life-changing opportunity by joining the
British Army's legendary Royal Gurkha Rifles, a regiment renowned for its
bravery and discipline -5. For
15 years, he served across five continents in roles including combat medic,
sniper, and covert surveillance operator. The army gave him purpose, but it was
also the place where his life would take a dramatic and tragic turn.
The Day Everything Changed: 2010 in Afghanistan
In 2010, while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan,
Budha Magar stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED). The explosion was
instantaneous and devastating. He lost both his legs above the knee and
sustained severe injuries to his right arm .
"I can remember everything about the day I lost my
legs," he recalls on his website. As the senior Gurkha on patrol, his
first thoughts were not for himself, but for the safety of his men. He felt he
had failed his mission . When
he woke in a hospital bed, the physical pain was matched by a profound
psychological crisis. In Nepal, he explains, disability is often stigmatized,
viewed by some as a punishment for sins in a past life . He felt shame, hopelessness, and spiraled into
depression, self-medicating with alcohol. "I thought my life was
finished," he admitted in an interview with SUITCASE Magazine .
Climbing Back to Life: The Road to Recovery
Recovery was a slow, painful process that took over a year.
It was a journey of learning to walk again, but more importantly, learning
to live again . With support from his family and charities like the
Gurkha Welfare Trust and Combat Stress, he began to rediscover his confidence
through sport. He tried everything: skiing (becoming the first disabled person
to ski in Nepal), skydiving, kayaking, golf, and rock climbing .
This wasn't just about staying active; it was a conscious
decision to challenge the limitations society placed on him. "I started
testing what I could do physically," he said. "My confidence came
back, slowly, step by step, and I realised that anything is possible—you just
have to take a different approach" . This mindset led him to a series of record-breaking
climbs: Mont Blanc (4,810m) in 2019, Kilimanjaro (5,895m) in 2020, and in 2017,
he became the first double above-knee amputee to summit a peak over 6,000
meters when he climbed Mera Peak (6,476m) .
Everest, the ultimate childhood dream, was next.
Fighting for the Right to Climb: Overturning the Ban
Just as Budha Magar began planning his Everest expedition, a
new obstacle emerged, not from the mountain, but from his own government. In
late 2017, Nepal imposed a ban on solo climbers, blind climbers, and double
amputees from attempting Everest, citing safety concerns .
For Budha Magar, the ban was not just a logistical hurdle;
it was a deeply personal and discriminatory act. "They should be
supporting us, not banning us," he argued . Refusing to accept the decision, he joined forces with
other disabled climbers and disability organizations to launch a legal
challenge. In 2018, their collective efforts paid off when the Supreme Court of
Nepal overturned the ban, ruling it discriminatory and paving the way for
inclusivity in the Himalayas . This victory was as significant as any summit he would
later conquer, affirming the right for people with disabilities to pursue their
own "Everests."
The Historic Ascent: May 19, 2023
With the legal path clear, Budha Magar launched his
expedition in the spring of 2023. Leading a team of around 15-18 people,
including eight climbing Sherpas under the leadership of Krishna Thapa, his
approach to the mountain was meticulously planned . A standard climb is arduous, but for Budha Magar, the
challenge was magnified. He burns three times more energy and moves three times
slower than an able-bodied climber, requiring more camps and a longer, more
strategic ascent .
He used two types of prosthetic legs: his everyday Ottobock
Genium X3 microprocessor knees for walking on the lower slopes, and a pair of
specially designed carbon-fiber "stubbies" for the technical
climbing . These stubbies were fitted with quick-change adapters
to attach either rubber attachments for rock or crampons for ice and snow. To
prevent frostbite—a constant fear for an amputee—he even used prosthetic legs
with built-in heating circuits .
On the final push to the summit, Budha Magar and his team
faced grueling conditions. They traversed the treacherous Khumbu Icefall,
climbed the Lhotse Face, and navigated the Balcony and the South Summit. The
final stretch, including the Hillary Step, took them an astonishing 25 hours,
far longer than the typical 12-16 hours .
At 3:10 PM on May 19, 2023, they made it. Standing on top of
the world, with the wind and snow lashing against him, Hari Budha Magar, the
boy from Rolpa who lost his legs, became the first double above-knee amputee to
conquer Everest .
"Then I started crying," he told a news outlet. "I was so
grateful".
The Mission: Changing Perceptions of Disability
For Budha Magar, the summit was never the final destination.
It was a powerful platform for his life's mission: to change the global
perception of disability. "My main aim is to increase awareness of
disability and change people's perceptions," he stated before his
climb . "I know how disabled people are treated around the
world and it needs to change. ... I also want to inspire people to climb their
own mountains".
He hopes to dismantle the stereotype that people with
disabilities are a burden or incapable. "Our disability might be our
weakness, but it doesn't mean we can't do anything," he said . This message has resonated globally, earning him
numerous accolades, including the Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award in
2024 and being appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in
the King's Birthday Honours for services to disability awareness .
A New Peak: Conquering the Seven Summits
Hari's story didn't end at the top of Everest. True to his
word, he continued to climb. In a remarkable display of sustained
determination, he set his sights on the Seven Summits—the highest peak on
each continent.
On January 6, 2026, he stood on the summit of Mount Vinson
in Antarctica, battling temperatures of -25°C and fierce winds. With that final
step, Hari Budha Magar became the first double above-knee amputee to
complete the Seven Summits challenge . His climbs included:
Asia: Mount Everest (8,848m) - 2023
North America: Denali (6,190m) - 2024
South America: Aconcagua (6,961m) - 2025
Oceania: Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) (4,884m) -
2025
Antarctica: Mount Vinson (4,892m) - 2026
Europe: Mount Elbrus (5,642m)
Africa: Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m)
His message from the bottom of the world was the same as it
was from the top of it: "If you have a dream and dedicate yourself and
never give up, you can achieve anything—whatever life throws at you" .
Hari Budha Magar's journey from a catastrophic injury to the
highest points on Earth is a testament to the power of the human spirit. He has
proven that the greatest barriers are often not the physical ones, but the ones
we carry in our minds. He isn't just climbing mountains; he is moving the world
.jpeg)
0 Comments