Zhang Hong, 46, from China, climbed the world’s highest mountain from Nepal, becoming the first blind person in Asia and the third in the world to climb Everest.
The first blind Asian to climb Mount Everest. Photo: InHope Pictures “It doesn’t matter if you are disabled or normal, whether you are blind or have no arms or legs, as long as you have a strong will, you can always accomplish something that others cannot ,” Zhang told Reuters news agency. Zhang conquered the 8,849m high Himalayas on May 24 with three guides and returned to the camp on May 27. Born in Chongqing City, Zhang lost his sight at the age of 21 due to glaucoma. He was inspired by Erik Weihenmayer, an American blind climber who climbed Mount Everest in 2001. After that, Zhang started climbing with the guidance of a friend, Qiang Zi. Nepal reopened Mount Everest to foreigners in April after a period of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “I was still scared because I couldn’t see where I was going and couldn’t find my center of gravity, so sometimes I would fall. However, I still think that even if it’s difficult, I still have to face it. It’s part of climbing. There is difficulty, there is danger, and this is what climbing means.”
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