A Kenyan banker working with the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) has gone missing after scaling the heights of Mt. Everest. Reports reveal that Cheruiyot Kirui and his sherpa guide lost contact with everyone from Wednesday morning.
A sherpa guide is an individual from the Sherpa ethnic group in Nepal who assist in expeditions such as mountain climbing.
Mingma Sherpa, the chairman of the Seven Summit Treks disclosed that the Kenyan banker had courageously attempted to scale the heights of the world’s tallest mountain without using supplemental oxygen.
The pair are said to have gone missing a few metres below the world’s mountaineering summit at a landmark named Barry Bishop.
“Kirui, a banker working with KCB, and his Sherpa guide Nawang were last contacted at the Bishop Rock,” he said.
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Before taking to the mountains, Kirui’s guide Nawang shared with other Sherpas that Kirui abnormally wanted to climb the mountain without the use of supplemental oxygen.
Mingma Sherpa’s Seven Summit Treks has a search consisting of two Sherpa to search and rescue Cheruiyot Kirui and Nawang Sherpa.
“They have reached above balcony area,” he added, referring to a location above 8,000m also popularly known among climbers as the ‘death zone’ due to the extreme conditions and high fatality rate.
Cheruiyot Kirui’s last Instagram post was dated 5 days ago, where he shared the meticulous plans he had in store for his new challenge as well as the risks at hand.
“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.
“Cold: Without oxygen one is much more susceptible to frostbite. So I have;
Hands: Pair of heated gloves, pair of heated mittens with a spare set of batteries.
Feet: Two pairs of heated socks with a spare set of batteries.”
Kirui’s contingency plans also entailed carrying an oxygen supply for his Sherpa guide, Nawang, to use in case of severe distress/sudden changes in weather conditions.
He chose to climb from the Tibet side (North side) to avoid the traffic jams on the mountain’s routes. Nonetheless, Kirui was mentally, physically, financially and timewise prepared for the hike.
“And so after heavy investment physically, mentally, timewise (this expedition is taking more than a month from a regular 8 to 5 banker), financially (the amount of zeros needed to make this happen means I declare bankruptcy immediately I land back in Kenya)…it’s now the moment of truth.”