A former Gurkha soldier who lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan has made mountaineering history once again, becoming the first double above-knee amputee to reach the summit of the Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia.
Hari Budha Magar, 45, climbed the 4,884-metre peak, the highest mountain in Australasia, as part of his ambitious mission to complete the Seven Summits challenge, which involves scaling the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents.
Describing the ascent, Hari said the Carstensz Pyramid was “one of the most technical mountains of the Seven Summits, but with the help of my team, we made it.”
The climb marks his sixth successful summit, leaving only Mount Vinson in Antarctica to complete the challenge later this year.
“This campaign is about raising awareness of disability and inspiring others to climb their own mountains and conquer their dreams,” Hari said in a post on X.
Everest: The Turning Point
Hari rose to international prominence in May 2023 when he became the first double above-knee amputee to reach the top of Mount Everest. The gruelling 25-hour ascent from Camp Four to the summit tested his endurance and determination to the limit.
“The journey wasn’t easy,” he recalled. “We had to make some tough decisions along the way, but we made it. Oxygen supplies ran low and some people had to turn back for their own safety. I wanted to give up at least three times.”
Supported by a close-knit team including his brother, Nanda Bahadur Budha Magar, and Sherpas Mingma, Pasang, and Jit Bahadur Tamang, Hari eventually stood at the top of the world.
“We reached the top of the world,” he said at the time. “If I can climb to the top of the world, then anyone, regardless of disability, can achieve their dream.”
Service, Sacrifice and Strength
Hari served 15 years as a corporal in the British Army’s Gurkha Regiment before losing both his legs to an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Afghanistan in 2010.
Rather than letting the injury define him, he turned to mountaineering as a way to rebuild his confidence and inspire others. His Everest expedition alone aimed to raise £884,900, the equivalent of 100 times the height of the mountain, for five charities that supported his recovery: The Gurkha Welfare Trust, On Course Foundation, Blesma, Pilgrim Bandits, and Team Forces.
Joining him on his climbs has been expedition leader Krish Thapa, a highly respected mountaineer and former SAS Mountain Troop commander. Thapa, one of the first Gurkhas to pass SAS selection, has played a key role in guiding Hari through some of the world’s toughest environments.
Final Summit Ahead
Hari now has just one mountain left to conquer, the 4,892-metre Mount Vinson in Antarctica, which he plans to tackle in December.
Reflecting on his journey so far, he said: “If we are passionate, disciplined, work hard and believe in ourselves, nothing can stop us from achieving our dream. We proved that nothing is impossible.”
