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Double leg amputee reaches summit of Everest, 40 years after losing his feet during his first attempt

Xia Boyu had both his feet amputated after suffering frostbite during his first attempt at Everest in 1975.

DOUNIAMAG-NEPAL-CHINA-MOUNTAINEERING-DISABLED Xia Boyu, pictured in early April before his latest ascent AFP / Getty Images AFP / Getty Images / Getty Images

A CHINESE CLIMBER who lost both legs to frostbite on Everest four decades ago has finally reached the summit, just months after the revocation of a controversial ban on double amputee climbers attempting the world’s highest peak.

Xia Boyu (69) summited Everest earlier today on his fifth attempt to reach the top of the 8,848-metre peak.

“He reached the summit this morning, along with seven other members of his team,” said Dawa Futi Sherpa of Imagine Trek and Expedition, who organised Xia’s Everest bid.

Xia’s dream of standing at the top of the world was nearly thwarted by the Nepalese government, which last year banned double amputee and blind climbers from climbing its mountains.

The ruling was overturned by Nepal’s top court in March, which branded it as discriminatory towards people with disabilities.

shutterstock_345086648 Mount Everest, pictured from the Gokyo Valley in the Nepalese Himalayas Shutterstock / Daniel Prudek Shutterstock / Daniel Prudek / Daniel Prudek

Xia first attempted to summit Everest with a Chinese government-backed team in 1975, but was thwarted by bad weather.

He became stuck in the frigid low-oxygen environment near the top of Everest and suffered severe frostbite, losing both his feet.

In 1996 his legs were amputated just below the knee after he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of blood cancer.

The tenacious climber returned to Everest in 2014 and 2015 but Nepal’s climbing season was cancelled both years due to disasters.

Bad weather forced him to turn back during his previous attempt in 2016 when he was just 200 metres from the summit.

“Climbing Mount Everest is my dream. I have to realise it. It also represents a personal challenge, a challenge of fate,” Xia told AFP last month before heading to the mountain.

The only other double amputee to summit Everest is New Zealander Mark Inglis, who achieved the feat in 2006.

Xia is among the first of hundreds of climbers expected to summit Everest this month during a narrow window of good weather.

Nepal has issued 346 permits for this year’s spring climbing season, which runs from mid-April to the end of May.

Most Everest hopefuls are escorted by a Nepali guide, meaning about 700 climbers will try to reach the top in coming weeks.

Another 180 climbers are preparing to summit Everest from its north side in Tibet, according to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association.

Last year, 634 people made it to the top and seven died trying.

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    Mute Paul Heffernan
    Favourite Paul Heffernan
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    Aug 26th 2013, 10:20 AM

    Mains pipes in Limerick must be in a bad way. I work on the Ballysimon Road in Limerick and the amount of times the mains pipe on this road has burst is nuts.

    46
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    Mute Antonov Merinov
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    Aug 26th 2013, 10:35 AM

    By the looks of that pipe I bet the Romans had a better water supply.

    48
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    Mute Goebong
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    Aug 26th 2013, 10:37 AM

    Well done limerick country council great work getting the water supply back on do quick

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:21 PM

    Goebong.

    Am I reading your comment correct?

    Are you congragulating Limerick CITY council for actually doing the job they are being paid to do?

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    Mute Goebong
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:51 PM

    Yes they done a great job water back on within hours great job people could have had no water all day

    17
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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 26th 2013, 2:06 PM

    Goebung

    Thanks for confirming that we need to congragulate council workers for actually working.

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    Mute Goebong
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    Aug 26th 2013, 2:27 PM

    So what do want to give out to them for doing a good job stop being so negative

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 26th 2013, 3:40 PM

    Goebung

    Dont worry this time next year when their all transfered to Irish Water they will be too busy fixing water meters to have time to fix leaks, then you’ll be giving out.

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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Aug 26th 2013, 3:48 PM

    It probably was a roman made pipe from roman times

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    Mute Robert Kelly
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:10 PM

    Is that a stock photo of some pipe that leaked or a photo of water pipes typical of Limerick?

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:23 PM

    Robert

    That is a stock photo. Howeveer it could also be a photo of typical water pipes anywhere in the country. Some water pipes have been repaired so often the councils would have paid 10 times less to actually replace them altogether.

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    Mute Bluemist
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    Aug 26th 2013, 10:37 AM

    That’s the council “engineers” for you

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    Mute Larry T Bird
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:16 PM

    The pipe wil need to be fixed and stay fixed, as all the wh0res will need their weekly wash after the weekend

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    Mute Donal O'Byrne
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    Aug 26th 2013, 7:51 PM

    I guess the customers don’t wash at all?

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    Mute Ash
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    Aug 26th 2013, 1:52 PM

    Bit of plumbers mate… She’ll be grand….!

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    Mute Donncha Burke
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:36 PM

    Do they use wooden pipes as in pic?

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Aug 26th 2013, 12:49 PM

    Pipes my side spear to burst a lot as well as the water is often off for repairs.

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