Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki will be the first and only climber attempting to summit Mount Everest this season, nearly five months after dozens died in an avalanche, the mountain’s deadliest accident to date.
While the fall climbing season is a tough enough time to attempt to scale the world’s highest mountain, the 33-year old plans to climb solo, without oxygen and — even more astonishingly — minus several fingers and a thumb he lost in a previous attempt.
Major handicap
Kuriki’s hands were seriously damaged by frostbite during his 2012 attempt on Everest’s West Ridge.
His fingers were amputated to the first joint. He can use his right thumb for grip but isn’t able to fully use an ice ax — a critical part of a mountaineer’s safety equipment.
“I was told by a doctor that my performance will drop by more than 20%,” Kuriki told CNN.
“I feel that it takes more time to do detailed work such as getting change from a vending machine. I lost my fingers but at the same time I learned a lot about life and many people supported me.”
Fifth attempt
Kuriki is no stranger to Everest’s extreme conditions, from both the Chinese and Nepalese sides of the mountain.
His September solo quest will be the Hokkaido climber’s fifth attempt to summit the mountain.
In 2009, Chinese officials ordered him off the mountain before he could complete his climbing schedule.
Bad weather and a fatal accident with his crew ended a 2010 attempt from the Nepalese side of the mountain.
On a subsequent try in 2011, his tent poles, supplies and cooking gas were dug up by Himalayan crows at his final camp, and in 2012, extreme cold and high winds ended his quest and left him with serious frostbite.
Odds stacked against success
Although he’s successfully summited a number of 8,000-meter peaks in Nepal including Cho Oyu, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, and Mount Broad Peak, the odds of him successfully conquering Everest at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet), aren’t great.
More than 10,000 climbers have tackled it since mountaineers began their assault on the massif in 1922, but it wasn’t until 1953 that Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquered the mountain.
Since then, more and more climbers have challenged Everest. Only 2,974 have been successful.
The success rate is just 29%, and one in 10 people who attempt it die.
The risks don’t lessen when climbers head for home either. Avalanches, falls, high winds, extreme cold, fatigue and altitude sickness are as much of an issue on the descent.
Added risk
Most climbers use oxygen to combat the effects of the notorious death zone — above 8,000 meters — where the oxygen level in the air is so low, it can’t sustain human life. Without supplementary oxygen, climbers battle fatigue and confusion which can lead to accidents.
Kuriki, who likes the challenge of winter climbing, will climb without oxygen increasing his risks significantly.
Icefall Doctors fix route
The “icefall doctors,” a group of Nepalese climbing specialists are already on the mountain developing a safe route of Kuriki through the notoriously dangerous area from Base Camp, across the Khumbu Iceflow to Camp 2.
The team has surveyed the area for the safest route, and placed ladders and fixed ropes to make his traverse as safe as possible.
The Nepal government closed Everest after the devastating April 25 earthquake triggered massive avalanches on the mountain killing 19, and injuring 61 others. Many of those were sheltering in the comparative safety of Base Camp. A massive helicopter and land rescue mission was needed to rescue around 230 mountaineers stranded on the mountain when the icefall doctors’ route was destroyed.
The presence of the Sherpa team will be essential to Kuriki’s success. If they decide weather conditions are too extreme, they’ll close the mountain to climbers until spring 2016.
Avoiding Everest’s crowd
Kuriki and his support team are the only group to apply for a climbing permit since the most deadly season on record for Everest in spring 2015. Being the only team to apply for a permit in autumn isn’t unusual, but he risks adverse weather, reducing his chances of success.
“There are too many people on Everest in spring, which is the best season,” Kuriki told CNN.
“I want to feel nature and that’s possible in fall without many people around.”
President of Nepal’s Mountaineering Association, Kathmandu-based Ang Tsering Sherpa, knows Kuriki well and says that if the expedition isn’t completed by October 8, high winds and freezing temperatures will prevent any hope of success.
What makes him keep coming back
Despite the odds, Kuriki has decided to climb without the support of fellow climbers.
He’ll climb alone above Everest Base Camp while a cameraman and a Sherpa will climb separately to Camp 2 to record his climb.
“When I climb by myself, I can feel things I can’t in a city, and therefore, I learn from nature and grow as a human being,” Kuriki said.
“It’s not for a record or honor. I believe everybody in the world has his or her own mountain in life. Many people might stop climbing or challenging themselves because others judge them negatively or it seems tough.’
“By climbing and webcasting from Everest, I want to tell people that we can try together and share our adventures in life so they can keep trying for their dream,” Kuriki told CNN.