Bulgarian Atanas Skatov Returns to Base Camp after Climbing Everest

Atanas Skatov is the first Bulgarian to have climbed two peaks for the record time of 5 days and 11 hours - first Lhotse and then Everest.

"I'm alive and safe now and I could not call earlier because my phone froze at the top. We climbed at minus 35 degrees and very strong wind. I'm glad that I managed to climb both Lhotse and Everest and became the only participant in the expeditions of about 400 climbers and 400 Sherpas to sucefully ascent the two mountain peaks for 5 days and 11 hours. I have taken great pictures and made videos. I recorded the sunrise from Everest. It is very beautiful. I hope I will be able to send them from my devices, " he said on 23rd of May.

"There were very strong emotions this time. An amateur Sherpa died yesterday in my arms at a height of 8,700m. We tried about an hour to save him, but we failed. I've already climbed Everest via the North Ridge, but it's much harder via the South Col Route. Whole groups gave up and went back. The conditions this year were much harsher than last year. I was quite tired. My wish is to come to Bulgaria as quickly as possible," Skatov said on his satellite phone.

It is the sixth eight-thousander from Skatov’s collection of peaks he climbed in the past 3 years. He previously summited Everest via North Ridge (2014); Manaşlu (2015); Annapurna and Makalu (2016), Lhotse (2017) and Everest via South (2017).

Skatov’s goal is to climb all 14 eight-thousanders on the planet without consuming food of animal origin.

Atanas Skatov reached the summit of Mount Everest on 22^nd of May.

This is his second ascent to Everest, and this time Skatov climbed the mountain via the classic South Col route. The Bulgarian mountaineer made the successful ascent only six days after he successfully climbed Lhotse and without going down to a base camp.

Atanas Skatov's original intention was to attempt the Lhotse-Everest traverse, within 24 hours, but the very strong wind thwarted his plans.