A daring attempt by Kenyan hiker Cheruiyot Kirui to summit Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, located between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China in the Himalayan mountain range, has tragically ended in death.
Mr. Kirui, a seasoned climber with over ten ascents of Mount Kenya, went missing above 8,000 meters on Wednesday, 22 May 2024, and was found deceased in the death zone on Thursday, 23 May 2024. His body was found a few meters below the summit point according to reports from a publication specializing in Himalayan and Karakoram mountaineering.
The Himalayan Times reported that Mr. Kirui’s body was discovered by a rescue team from Seven Summit Treks, which organized the expedition that included climbers from the UK and Nepal. Additionally, the fate of Nawang Sherpa, who was with Mr. Kirui remains unknown.
Mr. Kirui, a banker with Kenya Commercial Bank, had attempted the climb without supplemental oxygen, pushing the limits of human endurance. He had previously stated that achieving the summit without supplemental oxygen was his true challenge.
Mr. Kirui’s death is the second confirmed death in this expedition, following the death of Romanian climber Gabriel Tavara, earlier in the week. Reaching the peak of Mt Everest remains one of the most challenging and dangerous endeavours in mountaineering.