Where to Ski And Snowboard - First Everest skier plans ascent at 80

First Everest skier plans ascent at 80

20th October 2012, by Abi Butcher

Yuichiro Miura (right) and his son Gota climbing Everest in 2003

The man who first skied down Mount Everest wants to be the oldest person to now climb the peak.

Yuichiro Miura, who skied down Everest in 1970 aged 37, is often described as “the godfather of extreme skiing”. In 1964 he became the first skier from Japan to compete in international competition, in Kilometer Lanciad Italy, where he set the world skiing record of 172.084kph (106.9mph).

In 2003, aged 70, Mr Miura became the oldest person ever to ascend the peak. The skier and adventurer has just turned 80 and now plans to break his own record as the oldest Everest climber. He plans to do so next spring with his son, Gota.

This week he told Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun: “To challenge Everest at 80 may be the limit for a human being”.

Mr Miura has many other world records under his belt. In 1981 he skied down Mt Kilimanjaro with his father Keizo (then 77), who made the eldest record, and his son Gota (then 11), who made the youngest record for climbing. He has also skied Mt Fuji, Mt Aconcagua (South America), Mt Elbrus (Russia), Mt Mackinley (N America).

The record of his trip to ski Everest in 1970, when he also made the world record for skiing from the highest point on earth, was made into an Oscar-winning film “The Man Who Skied Down Everest”.

Mr Miura says: “Have faith in yourself, fear gets you nowhere.”