A South African paraglider and climber has become the first person to legally paraglide off Mount Everest on 15 May – opening doors for ‘climb and fly’ adventurers on the world’s highest mountain.
Pierre Carter hopes to fly off the highest peak of every continent, having already flown off five and summited six. Others have flown off Everest before, a solo pilot and two tandem teams, but none of these flights were authorised by the Nepalese government.
Carter had a narrow window of opportunity, telling Times Live: “I had to choose because the wind was picking up and the weather was closing in.” Having nearly passed out from the exertion of running 30 m to get airborne at Everest’s high altitude, Carter took to the skies. “I’m feeling ecstatic,” Carter said.
Carter began climbing as a teenager and soon became interested in paragliding. Since 2005, he has flown off five of the seven mountains that make up the tallest summits on their respective continents, beginning with Russia’s Mount Elbrus.
Carter reached the summit of Alaska’s Denali in 2016, but was not permitted to fly. He next aims to repeat the feat off Mount Vinson in Antarctica this December.
