Former Paratrooper Becomes First Double Amputee to Climb World’s Eighth-Highest Mountain

By Peyton Phillips October 12, 2021

A former Russian paratrooper and double amputee climbed the world's eighth-highest mountain, a journey that lasted 34 days as he pulled himself to the peak.

Rustam Nabiev became the first person without legs to climb Nepal’s Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest mountain at 26,781 feet. The 29-year-old former paratrooper from Russia lost both of his legs in 2015 when his barracks collapsed.

Nabiev climbed Russia’s tallest peak, Mount Elbrus, in 2020 and decided to attempt an even higher peak on Mount Manaslu. His journey lasted 34 days, and Nabiev pulled himself up the mountain with the help of Sherpas. “It was like a mission that I had to finish for all those people who were watching me,” Nabiev told NBC News. “With this act I wanted to show that anything in this life can be accomplished through action.”

Rustam Nabiev, a Russian paraclimber with two amputated legs, successfully scaled the 26,781-foot-tall Mount Manaslu in Nepal – becoming the first person in the world to scale the mountain without legs. pic.twitter.com/I7NYNN8c7x

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 8, 2021

Once Nabiev reached the peak, he said his body felt “beat up” due to the “great deal of physical work,” but it was worth it.

”I thought a great deal about what I’ve accomplished and I realized that I did something unbelievable,” he said. “Deep inside I can’t even believe it.”

Image source: Everest Chronicle