One Man’s Everest – Kenton Cool

The story that emerged from the Everest base camp on 21st May 2013 was remarkable even in its bare essentials. A British climber had marked the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of the world’s highest peak by climbing not just Everest but the two huge mountains next to it, all in one go. It was an astonishing feat of endurance. Kenton Cool and his Sherpa partner, Dorje Gylgen, had gained and lost ten vertical kilometres in the 120 hours it took them to climb Nuptse, Everest and Lhotse. They had barely slept or eaten. They’d burnt so many calories that Cool staggered back from Lhotse two stone lighter than when he had set out on the 15th. It was the first time anyone had done the whole enormous Everest horseshoe in a single push.