Franco-Scottish climber, 20, climbs world's 14 highest peaks
Alasdair McKenzie is the second youngest to ever achieve the mountaineering 'grand slam'
Alasdair McKenzie, pictured here atop Shishapangma, has completed his challenge after two years
Alasdair McKenzie
Franco-Scottish mountaineer Alasdair McKenzie has completed his mission to become the youngest Western mountaineer to have climbed all 14 of the world's highest peaks.
The 20-year-old, who lives in Tignes (Savoie), scaled his final peak on October 9, reaching the summit of Shishapangma (8,027m) in Tibet.
“It was a difficult mountain, made more difficult with loads of snow. We went straight from base camp to the summit without a rest, which took 14 hours,” he told The Connexion.
“The feeling at the top was amazing, knowing we achieved 14 peaks was incredible.”
The feat of climbing all 14 peaks that are higher than 8,000m is regarded as the ‘grand slam’ of alpinism. Only around 50 mountaineers have completed it.
Mr McKenzie, who featured in August’s Connexion, was looking to become the youngest ever mountaineer to do it, but 18-year-old Nepalese Nima Rinji Sherpa takes that credit. He was part of the same expedition.
All of Mr McKenzie’s ascents have been with the assistance of sherpas and bottled oxygen.
In June, he opened a new route on the south Nepalese side of Cho Oyu in the Himalayas, his 13th peak.
Mr Mckenzie is Breton on his mother's side, Scottish on his father's.
He spent most of his childhood skiing at a high level before deciding that mountain-climbing was his true passion.
Read more: Young Franco-Scottish mountaineer is one peak away from record
