The height of endeavour

Xia Boyu is not afraid of challenges and is certainly not one for giving up. He tried four times to reach the summit of Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the west, but failed, and finally made it on his fifth attempt.

On the first of those attempts he lost his lower legs to frostbite trying to conquer the 29,032ft peak. He is the first Chinese double amputee climber to conquer the mountain, and he was 69 when he did so.

“When I finally made it to the peak, I was not as excited as I imagined,” he said. “I was absolutely shattered, both cold and lacking oxygen, sitting in the snow. I was too tired to speak or move.”

That feat was achieved on 14 May 2018, from the south side in Nepal. As the realisation set in that he had finally achieved his goal, he said, he called his wife with the news, bursting into tears.

These precious moments are recorded in a documentary, To The Summit, which recently opened in movie theatres across China.

“I hope viewers will learn more about Qomolangma and the spirit of climbing –to banish their fear of the difficulties, and march forward bravely,” he said.

Those who plan an attempt on the summit of Qomolangma, he said, have to be in awe of nature and realise that it is a venture fraught with peril. They should also be aware of their physical condition and prepare for every eventuality.

In February 2019, Xia was granted the Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year award in Monaco. He is the fourth Chinese individual recipient of the award, after the basketball player Yao Ming, the Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang and the tennis player Li Na.

As well as the physical challenge of any attempt on the summit, there are also financial considerations. It costs about 500,000 yuan (£59,000) to climb Qomolangma. When Xia resolved to challenge the summit again in 2008 he sold his apartment in Beijing to cover the expenses.

On the three failed attempts, in 2014, 2015 and 2016, it seemed nature was mocking him, with an avalanche, an earthquake and bad weather scuppering his plans. He is grateful for the unconditional support from his wife and son, he said.

“My wife always understood my dream. All these years, I’ve devoted myself to my dream and had less time to deal with family matters.”

In 1996 he was diagnosed with cancer but, following treatment, it seems to have gone into remission. During his latest attempt to conquer Qomolangma in 2018, he had to take medicine to treat thrombosis. He climbed slowly and carefully and tried his best to reduce the range of his bodily motion to decrease friction between his upper legs and prostheses. He stayed overnight at an altitude of 27,231 feet, rather than climbing for about 10 hours directly from the camp at 25,919 feet to the summit.

“I had to take a rest halfway, because it’s easy to develop blisters if I climb for such a long time,” he said. He did get a small blister and dealt with it quickly, so fortunately it did not bleed.

After the successful climb his journey continues. His next goal is to conquer the highest summits on the remaining six continents, as well as both the South Pole and North Pole. His daily routine includes exercising for about five to six hours. He gets up at 5 am to lift weights and then cycles to Xiangshan Mountain in Beijing to practise climbing techniques.

Previously published on Chinadaily.com.cn