Climbing Everest In Your 70s

Recognition at last for mountain's oldest conqueror

A 77-year-old retired Nepalese soldier has entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest man to climb Mount Everest.

Min Bahadur Sherchan, who climbed the world’s tallest peak in May last year at the age of 76 years, beat the previous record of Japanese climber Yuichiro Miuro, two years his junior.
‘’The oldest man to climb Mt Everest is Min Bahadur Sherchan (Nepal b. 20 June 1931) who reached the summit on 25 May 2008 at the age of 76 years 340 days," says the Guinness certificate awarded to Sherchan recently.’

According to reports, Guinness initially failed to recognise Sherchan’s claim to having reached the summit due to his not having correctly addressed the necessary formalities needed. As a consequence, Miura who in fact scaled the peak two days subsequently to Sherchan, received the much coveted accolade.

Having realised his blunder, the Nepalese climber travelled to Guinness’s London office this year and gave sufficient conclusive proof to stake his claim for the record.

‘’It’s nice to get acknowledgment and recognition for the achievement which should rightfully have been mine in the first place,’’ Sherchan told reporters in Kathmandu on Monday.