Simply climbing the highest mountain on earth is apparently not enough for some. A South African had a paraglider with him on Mount Everest. He was back down within minutes.
A South African has become the first person to fly from Mount Everest with a paraglider and a permit from Nepalese authorities.
Pierre Carter’s flight from the fourth peak of the world’s highest mountain took 20 minutes, said Dawa Steven Sherpa, chief of expedition company Asian Trekking, which organized his mission and the permit. Carter said he landed at a village four miles from base camp.
The actual flight with the view was spectacular, Carter said. But the way there brought some challenges. The ascent was difficult, he fell at 6,500 meters and was unable to continue for some time. The departure from 7960 meters was also difficult. And then he and his team would have had to wait even longer for a suitable wind strength and visibility for take-off and the planned landing. He was very excited, but he didn’t feel afraid.
Carter originally wanted to fly from the almost 8849 meter high peak. But then he only received a permit for 8,000 meters and finally – also because of the weather – decided on a position a little lower. Should he later receive approval for the top, he would like to do it again – as long as it fits with the sponsorship. Because climbing Mount Everest with an expedition company costs tens of thousands of euros.
Both Carter and his expedition organizers see potential on Everest for more adventure sports of this kind. There is already a “climb and fly” trend worldwide – after their ascent, the mountaineers fly back again. So far, according to authorities, there have been a few unauthorized flights from Everest, but Carter’s flight was the first with permission.
