Chinese double amputee conquers Mount Everest aged 69

Xia is the first double amputee to scale Mt Everest from the Nepal side and second person without legs to climb world's highest peak.

"Climbing Mount Everest is my dream", he said then.

In doing so, Boyu became the first double-amputee to successfully climb Everest from the south side of the mountain.

During his previous attempts in 2014, 2015 and 2016, Xia's unsuccessful tries to beat Everest were scuttled by a series of natural disasters, including an avalanche, a 7.8-magnitude quake and a blizzard that forced him to turn back just 300 feet from the summit, according to Time.

Speaking from the summit this week, Xia was quoted by the People's Daily telling a friend he had been preparing for the moment for 43 years. Finally, on Monday morning, he reached the 8,848-meter summit on his fifth attempt. But, Xia received permission in March this year when the government overturned the decision by calling it "discriminatory" toward people with disabilities. "It also represents a personal challenge, a challenge of fate", Xia told AFP in April before heading to the mountain.

Most Everest hopefuls are escorted by a Nepali guide, which means that about 700 climbers will tread the same path to the top of the peak in the coming weeks. The 2016 attempt brought him close to the summit before a blizzard set in.

Xia's successful expedition comes a day after eight rope-fixing team members reached the summit, making the climbing route open for other climbers for 2018 spring season.

And on Monday, Xia finally achieved that dream. He was accompanied by three sherpas.

A 69-Year-Old Double Amputee Has Just Climbed Mount Everest

The first was New Zealand climber Mark Inglis, who reached the summit in 2006 at age 59. "I have to realise it", he said.

BC-AS-Nepal-Everest, 2nd Ld-Writethru, 337Australian climbs 7 peaks in 7 continents in record timeAP Photo BKWS110Eds: Updates with more than 40 climbers including a double-amputee scaling Everest.

Plain, 36, from Perth, climbed Mount Vinson in Antarctica on January 16. "Plain took almost seven hours to reach the summit point from Camp IV on Mt Everest", he said.

He followed that with Mount Aconcagua in South America, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Carstensz Pyramid in Papua New Guinea, which covers Australia and Oceania, Mount Elbrus in Europe and Denali in North America.

He beat the previous speed record by nine days and was presented with an award at the peak.

"My Dad reached Everest at 8:26Nepal time!".

Plain, the Australian climber, complained of long queues on the way to the summit.

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