A Chinese citizen Zhang Hong, 46 years old, who completely lost his sight in his youth, conquered Everest, becoming the first blind person in Asia and the third in the world to conquer the highest peak of the globe. According to The Himalayan Times, on May 24, accompanied by a mountain guide and three Sherpas, he climbed to an altitude of 8849 meters and returned to base camp.
According to Zhang, he was very inspired by Erik Weihenmayer, a blind American climber who scaled Mount Everest in 2001. The Chinese enthusiast, who was blinded at the age of 21 due to glaucoma, decided to repeat the mountaineering feat of his comrade.
“This is just the beginning, I want to climb all the Seven Summits,” Zhang said upon returning to base camp. His journey is currently being followed by Chinese director Fang Lixin (2009 Emmy Award for Last Train Home), and the story of a blind climber will hit cinemas in early 2022.
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