“I have declared that now onwards I won´t climb beyond base camp,” said Apa, 51, who climbed the world´s tallest mountain for a record 21st time on May 11 bettering his own world record, something he has done almost every year for a decade now. [break]
“However, I will fully support Eco Everest Expedition and its initiatives for the protection of mountain environment. I will participate all the time up to base camp,” said the climber on the occasion of the fourth International Everest Day Celebration.
Apa, who has been part of the expedition for the past four years, was born in Thame village in the Everest region.
The harsh terrain and altitude of his birthplace is believed to have prepared him for an illustrious climbing career in which he started off as a little-known guide, whose first three attempts to scale the 8,848-meter peak failed, and eventually became a climbing legend.
He first successfully climbed the world´s tallest peak in 1990. Apa climbed Mt Everest for the past four years to spread awareness about the impact of climate change on the Himalayas.
The Evo Everest Expedition that he leads seeks to clean up the slopes of Mt Everest that is littered with trash left behind by past expeditions.
Apa moved to Utah, USA, in 2006 so that his children could have a better education.
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