Russian climber overcomes near-fatal crevasse fall to set Everest record
Russian climber Iurii Sukhanov becomes the oldest Russian to summit Mount Everest at 70, as Nepali guides saved his life along the way.
PC: ChaTour Treks
Russian climber Iurii Sukhanov reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 15, just weeks after surviving a harrowing 15-meter fall into a crevasse, according to expedition organizer ChaTour Treks and Expedition.
At 70 years old, Sukhanov set a new record as the oldest Russian to conquer the world’s highest peak, surpassing the previous record set by Ivan Dusharin, who reached the summit at age 65 in 2012. Chatur Tamang, owner of ChaTour Treks, personally guided him to the top.
The climb nearly ended in tragedy on April 26, when Sukhanov plunged into a deep crevasse at 5,600 meters near Camp 1 after an ice bridge gave way beneath him. Miraculously, three Sherpas—Lakpa Tenji Sherpa, Pemba Gelu Sherpa, and Ram Magar from Furtenbach Adventure Company—rescued him. Despite Sukhanov not being their client, the Sherpas risked their lives to save him.
"We were returning from Camp II after rotations when the ice broke just below Camp I. We heard a voice calling for help and saw him trapped in that deep pit," recounted Lakpa Tenji Sherpa of Furtenbach Adventure. "We decided to pull him out of the crevasse."
The Sherpa team used a main rope for the dramatic high-altitude rescue. "We couldn’t ignore someone asking for help at such an altitude," added Pemba Gelu Sherpa.
After recovering at base camp, Sukhanov resumed his climb, ultimately reaching the summit—an achievement that reflects his extraordinary determination.
Beyond his mountaineering feat, Sukhanov is a doctor and dentist who dedicated this climb to his 70th birthday. ChaTour Treks and Expedition celebrated his success as "an inspiration to climbers worldwide."
