The Himalayan’s story mountaineering and what people do in those mountains has had a very special impact today.
That history, as far as the Himalayas are concerned, is full of significant events, both in its fourteen highest mountains and in many more, lesser-known ones. But today, we open a special chapter for one of those fourteen: Manaslu, which, just a few hours ago, was the protagonist of a truly important event.
On the one hand, we have that record, which we will now discuss. On the other, the man, an example of perseverance, effort, and passion for the mountains. That is what is remarkable. And the message, related to the simple fact that we should never give up, if we are convinced of what we do. The reward will come.
For Carlos Soria Fontán, I imagine, the reward for that perseverance has arrived. Record and all, and with many more ingredients. Having reached, and repeatedly summited, Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world at 8,163 meters, opens up a very interesting and even more remarkable range of «firsts.»
Born on February 5, 1939, 86 years ago, when names like Tilman, Shipton, Noel Odell, and Tenzing Norgay, a year earlier, had attempted to set foot on the world’s summit for the first time, without success; and when even setting foot on any of the eight-thousanders was just a dream, Carlos Soria came into this world. Today, this 86-year-old man, with a prosthetic knee, makes history on Manaslu, one of those eight-thousanders, setting an absolute record for longevity on a mountain over eight thousand meters. And that, yes, is much more than an achievement.
The report provided by the team this morning was simple and concise, but contained countless reflections:
«Carlos Soria reaches the summit of Manaslu 50 years later! At 86 years old, the Spanish mountaineer reached the summit on an exciting day. The goal now is to reach Camp 2 to rest and return to Base Camp tomorrow.»
And within that path of reflection I mentioned, beyond perseverance and what was said in previous paragraphs, there is the important fact of change, of the «swerve» at the right moment, and in the face of concrete facts.
Many of us have followed Carlos Soria’s tireless work on eight-thousanders in recent years, and especially on his long-sought-after Dhaulagiri, which became stubbornly difficult for him, with the climber from Álvila.
The conclusion is that «we just had to change mountains.» Don’t follow the path of someone who doesn’t want you. It’s clear, concrete, and reflected here in This event happened today. And that leaves us with many conclusions. There was no point in insisting on a record that is much more «crowded» today. There was another, much more important record, which, I imagine, Carlos himself cares little about, except for the simple fact of having reached there, out of pure self-satisfaction.
Carlos Soria has just surpassed the record held by Japanese Yūichirō Miura, who on May 23, 2013, at the age of 80 years, seven months, and 11 days, reached the summit of Mount Everest, and held the record for longevity on an eight-thousander for just over twelve years. Well, that record was shattered today by Carlos Soria, at 86 years, seven months, and 21 days.
I don’t think there’s much more to add before these facts. It’s very likely that many years will pass before this record can be surpassed. If it ever happens. In the meantime, enjoy this wonderful achievement.
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