Kathmandu, Jan 18 —
Nepali adaptive mountaineer Hari Budha Magar has created history by becoming the first double above-knee amputee in the world to successfully climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on all seven continents.
Magar completed his historic journey after summiting Mount Vinson (4,892 metres) in Antarctica on 6 January 2026 at 10:00 pm, marking the conclusion of his six-year-long global mountaineering campaign titled “Conquering Dreams – 7 Summits.” He returned to Nepal shortly after to share the achievement with the media and public.
Speaking at an interaction programme in Kathmandu on Saturday, Magar said the accomplishment was not just personal but a matter of pride for Nepal and a powerful message for people with disabilities worldwide.
“I believe that if we have a dream, commit fully, and never give up, then no challenge is too big,” he said. “This journey proves that disability should never limit the size of our dreams.”
Born in Mirul of Thawang Rural Municipality, Rolpa, Magar is a former Gurkha soldier who lost both of his legs above the knee in a bomb explosion while deployed in Afghanistan in 2010. After years of recovery and adaptation, he redirected his life toward mountaineering with a strong focus on disability awareness.
Magar’s Seven Summits journey began with Mount Blanc in 2019, followed by Mount Kilimanjaro (2020), Mount Everest (2023), Denali (2024), Aconcagua (2025), Carstensz Pyramid (2025), and finally Mount Vinson (2026). With this achievement, he has secured a world record in adaptive mountaineering.
The campaign required extensive preparation, including the development of specialised prosthetic legs, intense physical and mental training, complex logistics, and fundraising of nearly one million US dollars. Magar and his team faced extreme cold, high winds, steep terrain, and harsh weather conditions across some of the world’s most remote regions.
Magar said his primary motivation was not fame or financial gain but to raise global disability awareness and challenge misconceptions surrounding physical limitations.
“There was a time when even the Government of Nepal restricted people with disabilities from climbing mountains,” he noted. “Disability may be a weakness, but it does not mean we are incapable. We can do everything—just in different ways.”
Through his campaign, Magar aims to inspire persons with disabilities to believe in themselves and encourage governments, institutions, and societies to provide proper support without discrimination. He said mountains have become his platform to break barriers and change mindsets.
Magar credited his success to the collective support of his climbing team, family, friends, sponsors, partners, charitable organisations, and well-wishers. He also acknowledged his guide Mingma Sherpa and photojournalist Abiral Rai, who accompanied him during the final expedition.
Declaring that his mission is far from over, Magar said he has dedicated the rest of his life to disability advocacy. “Together, we have shown that nothing is impossible,” he said. “This message must reach every person with a disability and inspire them to climb their own mountains.”
