British climber Jon Gupta makes season’s final summit of Amadablam

KATHMANDU: British climber Jon Gupta along with his team made the season’s final summit on Mt Amadablam in the Mt Everest region yesterday.

“At 12:43 on 1st December, alongside Lhakpa Wongchhu Sherpa, renowned British Himalayan Guide Jon Gupta guided his client Becks Ferry (UK) on to the summit of Amadablam,” a statement issued by the expedition said.

According to the statement, having turned back just 300m below the summit on November 27 due to deteriorating weather, Gupta, Ferry and Lhakpa descended to the base camp to rest. Undefeated, the trio then went from Base Camp to Camp 2 on November 30, and then to the summit the following night. “The conditions were absolutely perfect.”

“We had a very bright full moon, the entire mountain to ourselves and only a light breeze. I couldn’t have wished for a better summit day,” said Gupta.

This was Gupta’s 11th summit of the iconic mountain, which includes a record breaking three summits in seven days back in 2016 and a Base Camp-Summit-Base Camp speed ascent of 14 hours and 12 minutes.

“This year, the Khumbu has been incredibly quiet for obvious reasons. It’s been a real pleasure to be here, we have been warmly welcomed everywhere we went. The generosity, kindness and hard work of the Khumbu people is endless and ever present. Thank you for having us,” Gupta added.

The expedition was organised by Iswari Paudel of Himalayan Guides Nepal.