世界の高峰１４座、６か月で制覇　ネパール人登山家が新記録

【カトマンズＡＦＰ＝時事】ネパール人登山家ニルマル・プルジャ氏（36）が29日、世界に14座ある「8000メートル峰」の全てを189日間（6か月と6日）で登頂する世界最速記録を達成した。同氏が自身のソーシャルメディアアカウントへの投稿で明らかにした。これまでの最速記録は8年弱だった。（写真はネパールの首都カトマンズでAFPの取材に応じるネパール人登山家のニルマル・プルジャ氏）
　同氏はフェイスブックへの投稿で、中国のシシャパンマへの登頂を報告し、「ミッション達成！」と宣言した。
　８０００メートル峰１４座の完全制覇は１９８６年、イタリアの著名登山家ラインホルト・メスナー氏が世界で初めて達成。翌８７年にはポーランド人登山家のイェジ・ククチカ氏が７年１１か月１４日で同じ偉業を達成。その後、金昌浩（キム・チャンホ）氏がこれより１か月速い新記録を達成していた。ただ、金氏はククチカ氏やプルジャ氏とは異なり、１４座全てを無酸素で登頂していた。
　英軍のネパール人部隊「グルカ旅団」や精鋭部隊「特殊舟艇隊」の元隊員であるプルジャ氏は、４月に「プロジェクト・ポッシブル」と題した挑戦を開始。第１段階として、わずか１か月でアンナプルナ、ダウラギリ、カンチェンジュンガ、エベレスト、ローツェ、マカルーの６座に登頂した。
　その１か月後にはパキスタンで第２段階をスタートし、まず標高８１２５メートルの難関ナンガパルバットに登った。その後は、自身の目標に間に合わせるために睡眠不足と闘いながら、ガッシャーブルム１峰、ガッシャーブルム２峰、世界第２位のＫ２を含むパキスタン高峰５座をほぼ駆け足で登っては下りたと同氏は説明している。
　２３日後には第２段階で最後の山となるブロードピークに登頂。９月に最終段階を開始し、１週間のうちにチョーオユーとマナスルを踏破していた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2019/10/30-08:55）

A Nepali mountaineer on Tuesday smashed the record for summiting the world's 14 highest peaks, racing up all 8000ers in just seven months, according to a post on his social media accounts.
Nirmal Purja completed the climb of the 14 mountains, all over 8,000 metres (26,250 feet) in seven months, the post said. The previous record was almost eight years.
MISSION ACHIEVED! says @nimsdai from the summit of #Shishapangma, read the post on Purja's Facebook page, referring to the final peak in China.
Polish climber Jerzy Kukuczka completed the same feat after seven years, 11 months and 14 days in 1987 after Italy's legendary Reinhold Messner became the first to scale the 14 peaks a year earlier.
South Korean Kim Chang-ho completed the challenge one month slower than Kukuczka -- although unlike Kukuczka, who died in a climbing accident in 1989, he never used supplementary oxygen.
The 36-year-old Purja, a former member of the Gurkhas -- a unit of Nepalis recruited into the British army -- as well as the elite Special Boat Service, kicked off his ambitious Project Possible in April.
In the first part of his record attempt, Purja climbed Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse and Makalu -- among the highest of the 8000ers -- in just one month.
A month later, he headed to Pakistan for the second part, where he first tackled the notorious Nanga Parbat at 8,125 metres.
Battling sleep deprivation to meet his target, Purja said he was almost sprinting up and down five of Pakistan's highest peaks including Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and K2, the second tallest in the world.
Twenty-three days later he was standing atop Broad Peak, his fifth and final mountain of the second phase.
Purja began his final push in September, reaching the tops of Cho Oyu and Manaslu within a week.
When he first told others about his new quest, everyone was laughing at me and saying 'how it will be possible'? Purja told AFP in a recent interview.
It is about trusting your ability, he had said as he relaxed in Kathmandu waiting to ascend the final peak.
You always need to have (a) positive mindset because sometimes things will go wrong.
He also said that he wanted to use his feats to inspire the next generation of Nepali climbers to break his records.
Sherpas -- Nepalis who often work as guides for foreign mountaineers -- are the backbone of the country's lucrative climbing industry, but don't attract as much attention or accolades as their international companions.
Nepal is home to the highest peaks in the world. There are so much better climbers out there who (haven't) got the opportunity, he told AFP in Kathmandu.