A Japanese man has become the unlikely face of Nepal's desperate efforts to revive its climbing industry, seeking to conquer Everest alone for the first time since 18 people were killed in April avalanches — and since he lost all of his fingertips to frostbite.
Nobukazu Kuriki, 33, set off on his adventure on Tuesday, leaving Kathmandu for the mountains for acclimatization before tackling Everest next month, the first person to do so since multiple avalanches unleashed by an earthquake slammed into Base Camp in the mountain's worst climbing disaster.
Kuriki, despite his obvious disadvantages, will be the only person attempting to reach the world's highest summit in the challenging autumn climbing season. He scales cliffs without fellow climbers, bottled oxygen or even a rope, meaning his journey will entail far greater risk.