Abandoned bodies, rubbish on Mount Everest haunts amputee mountaineer

Tom Whittaker, the first physically challenged person who conquered Mount Everest with an artificial leg, now aims to conquer Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica as well as all the highest peaks in each of the seven continents.

Whittaker, who lost his legs and kneecap in a road accident, climbed The Everest on May 27, 1998 after three attempts.

However, he plans to set out on his dream trek only after three years, once his kids are settled.

He is an inspiration to many specially challenged people to live their dreams.

However, he says he is haunted by the waste and debris he saw on The Everest, including a dead body of a mountaineer.

Many people have perished in the death zone - about 8,000 meters atop The Everest, when they lose balance and get buried in the ice. In fact, 16 climbers lost their lives in a deadly avalanche.

According to the Nepal government Mount Everest has become riddled with an estimated 50 tonnes of rubbish -- empty oxygen cylinders, tent debris, batteries and climbing gear as well corpses that don’t decompose because of the freezing temperatures.

Whittaker was speaking at the Open Minds Forum, organized by the Black and White Magazine.

He accepted a faculty position in 1991 with Prescott College in Arizona, where he taught for nine years. 

He has received many accolades. Whittaker was featured as one of ‘America’s Unsung Heroes’ by Newsweek magazine. In November 2006, Queen Elizabeth II, awarded him the most Excellent Order of the British Empire at a Royal Investiture in Buckingham Palace.

He has also written a book ‘Higher Purpose’ about his conquest of The Everest and also hosts group called ‘Cooperative Wilderness Handicapped Outdoor Group’.

 

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