Missing mountain climber Cheruiyot Kirui

Cheruiyot Kirui, a passionate climber who set out on a challenge to climb the world’s highest mountain above sea level; Mt Everest has been found dead  days after he went missing in the mountain.

Kirui, known for his adventurous spirit and determination, was found a few metres below the summit point of the world’s highest mountain.

Kirui was eager to achieve another first; climing Mt Everest without supllimenatrt oxygen.

“Climbing Everest has been done before. I think the only difference is what I’m trying to do, climbing without supplemental oxygen. That has not been done by any African. It’s the tough way to climb Mt Everest,” he told The Star in a previous interview.

The snow and ice on the mountain create deadly hazards, such as avalanches, and there is only a limited climbing season due to bad weather conditions.

At 8,849 metres, Everest’s summit has approximately one-third the air pressure that exists at sea level.

This significantly reduces a climber’s ability to breathe in enough oxygen. Because of this, scientists have determined that the human body is not capable of remaining indefinitely above 6,000 metres.

In his social media post, Kirui explained his motivation: “For some reason, I feel I can comfortably climb Everest with oxygen, which unfortunately neutralises the thrill of such a climb for me.

“I’m not sure of my chances without oxygen though. Which makes such an attempt exciting, introducing the adrenaline factor, and we just have to find out.”

The chances of success are much less than when climbing without supplemental oxygen.

Cheruiyot Kirui, a banker working with KCB,developed the passion for climbing mountains in his 30s and made his first attempt in 2014 when he climbed both Mt Kenya and Kilimanjaro.

“In 2014, I climbed Mt Kenya during the Easter holidays and Kilimanjaro. That was the beginning of my outdoor activities.” he said.

Speaking to the media ahead of his biggest quest to climb Mt Everest without supplimentary oxygene, Cheruiyot Kirui had pointed out that the major risk was at the ‘death zone level” , which refferes to the zone  on Mount Everest higher than 8,000 metres.

In this area, oxygen is so limited that the body’s cells start to die, and judgment becomes impaired.

In his final post, Kirui outlined his preparations for the summit rotation. He detailed the special measures he took and shared his mental and physical readiness for the final ascent.
“My plan: A no-oxygen attempt comes with its special preparations and risks, physically my body is ready. On the other risks, I’m taking the following measures,” he wrote, listing his precautions against cold, high altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE), and other dangers.