85-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan was hoping to reclaim a previously held title this week of being the oldest person to climb Mount Everest. However, he died of a possible heart attack at the Everest Base Camp on Saturday evening. This is the second death within a week involving climbers preparing to ascend to the peak.

Second mountaineer this week to die while climbing Mount Everest

Last Sunday a world famous mountaineer by the name of Ueli Steck died after he fell to his death close to Everest. Steck, who has been dubbed “The Swiss Machine,” was attempting to climb Everest without the aid of oxygen.

Now Sherchan has also passed away after suffering a possible heart attack at the Everest Base Camp. Sherchan’s death was confirmed by Nepal’s Department of Tourism. However, few details have been obtained due to problems communicating with the Everest base camp.

Sherchan was a former British Gurkha soldier and was believed to be in good health when he set out for Everest with a team of six Sherpas. Sherchan told the Himalayan Times on Friday morning via a mobile phone from the base camp that he was well and was ready to achieve his goal. The Times quoted Shiva Bahadur Sapkota, one of Sherchan’s support staff, as saying the mountaineer was comfortable when traversing the icefall section as part of the acclimatization process for the climb.

Nepalese man started mountaineering in 1960

Sherchan was born in June 1931 in western Nepal. He began his mountaineering career in 1960 when he successfully climbed Mt Dhaulagiri. It was when Sherchan was at the “young” age of 76 that he first climbed to the summit of Mount Everest and was awarded a Guinness World Record for his feat, as being the oldest man to climb the mountain.

However, in 2013, 80-year-old

However, in 2013, 80-year-old Yuichiro Miura of Japan broke his record. There was reportedly a long-term rivalry between the two mountaineers, due to the closeness of their ages. Sherchan tried to beat Miura’s record in 2013 and 2015, but both times was hampered by bad weather conditions or the Nepalese earthquakes.

RT News reports that Sherchan made the headlines across the world when he announced his latest attempt to reclaim his record. The octogenarian reportedly told DPA International back in March that the main goal of his mountaineering efforts was to inspire people, especially those of an advanced age. He said he wanted to set a record that would inspire others to dream big and to instill a sense of pride among other older people. Sherchan added that his climb would demonstrate the fact that age cannot stop you from realizing your goals.

Sacramento man aims to be the oldest American to climb Everest

Back in 2014, Sacramento mountain climber Jim Geiger attempted to make the same climb, aiming, at 68, to be the oldest American to climb Everest. Regrettably, he had to turn back after an avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas. According to the Summit Leader Coaching website, Geiger still intends to achieve his aims on the world’s highest peak.
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