“I’ve reached the top,” the Spaniard Sergi Mingote announced today via Twitter. The ascent from Camp 3 at 7,250 meters to the summit of Dhaulagiri at 8,167 meters took him 13 hours. “In only 444 days this is the seventh 8000-meter-summit, without the help of artificial oxygen.” In 2018, the 38-year-old had scaled Broad Peak, K2 and Manaslu, this year already Lhotse, Nanga Parbat and Gasherbrum II before Dhaulagiri. Sergi has resolved to climb all 14 eight-thousanders within 1000 days without breathing mask. At the scheduled end of his project in May 2021, he wants to scale Mount Everest.
Sanu Sherpa completes 14×8000
Among the reportedly a little more than a handful of climbers, who today reached the summit of Dhaulagiri despite large amounts of snow, were the Nepalese Sanu Sherpa and the Bulgarian Atanas Skatov. The 44-year-old Sanu completed his eight-thousander collection. After the brothers Mingma and Chhang Dawa Sherpa, he is the third Nepalese mountaineer to have reached the summits of the 14 highest mountains in the world.
Tenth eight-thousander for vegan Skatov
For Skatov, it was his tenth eight-thousander. In 2017, the 41-year-old Bulgarian was the first vegan to complete the the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of all continents. Now he is collecting eight-thousanders. Atanas summited Mount Everest via the Tibetan north side (in 2014) as well as via the Nepalese south side (in 2017), Manaslu (in 2015), Annapurna, Makalu (both in 2016), Lhotse (in 2017), Cho Oyu (in 2018) and this year the four eight-thousanders Kangchenjunga, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and now Dhaulagiri.
Update 4 October: According to the Nepalese expedition operator Seven Summit Treks the Brazilian Moeses Fiamoncini, the Swiss Josette Valloton and the Nepalese Chhangba Sherpa also reached the summit of Dhaulagiri yesterday. Juan Pablo Mohr was at the top too, according to his own words. It was his fifth eight-thousander success without bottled oxygen, the Chilean climber writes on Instagram.
Update 8 October: Moeses Fiamoncini informs that contrary to first reports he did not reach the summit of Dhaulagri. 50 meters below the summit he fell 20 meters deep, said the Brazilian. His helmet was broken, his down suit, gloves and shoes filled with snow. According to his words, he almost died of hypothermia. It took him three days to descend to base camp, reports Moeses.
