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Rustam Nabiev, a Russian ex-soldier who lost both legs in a military barracks collapse in 2015, has achieved a remarkable feat by scaling Mount Everest using only the strength of his arms. This accomplishment is being hailed as a "new record in mountaineering history."

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The most challenging route was definitely the Khumbu Icefall, which took me 15 hours to cross. You can imagine how difficult it is even for an able-bodied climber. The second hardest phase was the journey from Camp 3 to Camp 4, which took me more than 14 hours.

Nabiev launched his Everest expedition on his 34th birthday. While a typical climber completes the final summit push in three to four days, Nabiev required approximately a week of intense effort. A viral video captured his arduous journey, showing him pulling himself up metal ladders over the Khumbu Icefall solely with his arms.

Amputated below the knee, Nabiev reached the summit of the world's highest peak on May 20. Nepali mountaineer Lhakpa Sherpa, holder of the record for most Everest ascents by a woman, described his climb as an extraordinary demonstration of human willpower overcoming physical limitations. This achievement surpasses the milestone set by Hari Budha Magar, a former Gurkha soldier who climbed Everest with prosthetic legs in May 2023.

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The descent is always the hardest part because most climbers lose their lives while coming down. I focused more on the descent than the ascent. Without legs, going down was extremely painful, both physically and mentally. I had to constantly hold my body back with my hands to stay balanced on ice walls and rocks to avoid slipping. It put continuous strain on my body.

Nabiev described the Khumbu Icefall as the most challenging route, taking him 15 hours to cross, and the journey from Camp 3 to Camp 4 as the second hardest, exceeding 14 hours. He emphasized the extreme difficulty and pain of the descent, noting that it required constant focus and balance to avoid slipping on ice walls and rocks, placing continuous strain on his body. He acknowledged the inherent risks of climbing on his hands at such altitudes.

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Walking on your hands is not natural for the human body. At that altitude, anything could have happened, so I kept those risks in mind.

Looking ahead, Nabiev has set his sights on climbing the Seven Summits across the seven continents. He has already successfully climbed Mera Peak and Mt Manaslu in Nepal prior to his Everest ascent.

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The Seven Summits of the seven continents.