Mark Inglis is a mountaineer from New Zealand, who summited the world’s highest point, Mount Everest (8848.86m), with a pair of amputated legs. Yes, Inglis is indeed a history-maker. Besides that, he is also prominent as a motivational speaker, researcher, winemaker, and paralympic athlete. Moreover, Inglis into various charitable work, notable being the goodwill ambassador for the Everest Rescue Trust and the founder of Limbs4All.
Mark Inglis’ Bio
Mark Inglis was born on 27th September 1959, in Geraldine, New Zealand. His parents are Jim and Mary Inglis, and have two elder siblings.
He did his primary level schooling at All Hallows Geraldine and then attended Geraldine High School Board of Governors Trophy. Further, he has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Lincoln University.
Is Mark Inglis Married?
Mark Inglis has been married to his wife, Anne Hathaway, for a long time now. The couple shares three children: Lucy, Jeremy, and Amanda.
If you are curious to know Inglis more, you can also follow him on Instagram, where he shares his outdoor kinds of stuff.
On the other hand, his family wants to stay out of the limelight.
What Disability Does Mark Inglis Have? How He Got Into One
Inglis started mountaineering as a search and rescue team for Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park in 1979. After two years, in 1981, Inglis found himself caught in a snow cave on Aoraki / Mount Cook with his climbing partner Philip Doole following a dangerous blizzard. It took 13 days to rescue them, resulting in worsened frostbite on the legs. Later, Inglis’s legs were amputated 14 cm below the knee.
Back On The Mountains
Nevertheless, Inglis couraged to return back in the mountains. In 2002, he successfully summited Mt. Cook on 7 January. The summit was documented by the film No Mean Feat: The Mark Inglis Story.
On 27th September 2004, Mark Inglis summited the world’s sixth-highest peak, Mt. Cho Oyu, 8,188 m (26,864 ft), becoming the first and only second double amputee to climb a mountain over 8,000 meters (26,000 ft) in height.
On 15th May 2006, Inglis became the first to summit the top of the world, Mount Everest, with double amputee legs. It took a total of 40 days to climb. At 6,400 meters, he fell and broke one of his carbon fiber prosthetic legs in half during the acclimatizing period after a fixed-line anchor failed. A spare was brought up from the base camp.
Inglis’s Everest expedition got a wide range of media attention, hugely filming it for the Discovery Channel series Everest: Beyond the Limit.
Caught In Controversy With David Sharp
While ascending from the summit, Inglis and many other climbers came upon David Sharp, a late English mountaineer who eventually died on Everest. However, rather than helping Sharp with his distressed condition, they would only care about summiting.
Many, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, criticized Inglis’s decision to abandon Sharp to death. Inglis claimed the accusation false and passed the situation to expedition leader Russell Brice. He said it was Brice’s decision to move forward, but Brice was in the base camp at the time. Further, he added, “trouble is at 8,500 meters, it’s tough to keep yourself alive, let alone anyone else alive.”
Although few climbers agreed with Inglis’s assessment, Phil Ainslie, a mountaineer, and scientist, disagreed with the statement. Ainslie opened up that: reviving Sharp might have been possible by getting him to safety. If not, provide Sharp with supplemental oxygen.
On 10th June, Brice e-mailed the Associated Press, writing he was only radioed David Sharp was in misery condition when his team informed. Also, Brice revealed there was no record of any call from Mark Inglis at that time. The Discovery Channel recorded video supported Brice’s statement.
While Inglis and the team descent, they passed through the cave several hours later, and again without caring to help Sharp. However, Inglis’ fellow climber, Maxime Chaya, and his Sherpa attempted to help David Sharp, but it was too late.
Where Is Mark Inglis Now?
Mark Inglis is working as a motivational speaker, influencing people from all over the world. late in his career, he also began as a consultant-winemaker. He introduced a wide range of sports drinks and energy gels under PeakFuel.
Until now, he has authored four books, “No Mean Feat,” “To the Max: a Teen Reader’s, “Off the Front Foot,” and “No Legs on Everest.”
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What Is Death Zone? Is Rescue Possible Over 8000m?
Death Zone is a phrase used in mountaineering to altitudes above 8000m. The term was coined by a Swiss doctor, Edouard Wyss-Dunant, in an article about acclimatization published in the journal of the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research.
At the Death Zone, the pressure of oxygen is insufficient for human life. All eight-thousanders in the death zone are in the Himalayas and Karakoram of Asia.
Death Zone is the cause of significant mortality rate in high-altitude mountaineering. The Death Zone directly affects the climber by losing vital functions or indirectly making wrong decisions under stress or physical incapacitation, leading to life-threatening accidents.
Now talking about the rescue above 8000m, it is not impossible, but yes, the climber must be conscious and can move their body. One cannot carry a climber down.
