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Japanese skier and climber Yuichiro Miura reached the summit of Everest three times after turning 70: in 2003, in 2008 at 75, and on 23 May 2013, aged 80 years and 223 days. That last climb, after four operations for an irregular heartbeat, made him the oldest person on record to stand on top.

Everest, 2013

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Miura first became famous in 1970, when he skied nearly 2,000 vertical metres down Everest from the South Col, the high saddle below the summit, using a parachute to slow himself. He fell for about 400 metres and stopped not far from a deep crevasse. A film of the descent, The Man Who Skied Down Everest, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the first sports film to do so. From 2008 onwards he had four operations for arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat. After reaching the top at 80 he could not finish the descent on foot and was flown off the mountain by helicopter from about 6,500 metres, which Guinness rules allow for a summit record.

Türkçe oku
Japon kayakçı ve dağcı Yuichiro Miura, 70 yaşından sonra Everest'in zirvesine üç kez çıktı: 2003'te, 2008'de 75 yaşında ve 23 Mayıs 2013'te 80 yıl 223 günlükken. Dört kez kalp ritmi bozukluğu ameliyatı geçirmiş olmasına rağmen yaptığı bu son tırmanışla, zirveye çıkan en yaşlı insan olarak kayıtlara geçti.
Everest, 2013

Miura'nın adı ilk kez 1970'te duyuldu: Everest'in zirvesinin altındaki yüksek boyun South Col'den paraşütle hızını keserek kayakla yaklaşık 2.000 metre alçaldı. Bir ara düşüp 400 metre kadar kaydı ve derin bir buz yarığının biraz önünde durabildi. Bu inişi anlatan The Man Who Skied Down Everest (Everest'ten Kayakla İnen Adam) En İyi Belgesel Oscar'ını kazandı; bu ödülü alan ilk spor filmiydi. Miura 2008'den sonra kalp ritmi bozukluğu yüzünden dört kez ameliyat oldu. 80 yaşında zirveye çıktıktan sonra inişi yürüyerek tamamlayamadı ve yaklaşık 6.500 metreden helikopterle indirildi; Guinness kuralları zirve rekoru için buna izin veriyor.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Yuichiro Miura
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