By Isha Sesay • Published: 04 Feb 2020 • 18:54
TWO Spanish mountaineers have crossed 1,700 kilometres of the Himalayas on foot, overcoming a cumulative elevation of 175,000 meters in 99 days – making them the youngest in the world to do so without assistance.
Sergi Unanue, a journalist from Bañolas and tge former editor of Barcelona Betevé, and Barcelona’s Dani Benedicto from Barcelona, have unveiled their incredible feat today (Tueaday, February 4), recieving international acclaim for their triumph. The two men, who are both under the age of 26-years-old, crossed the challenging ‘Great Himalaya Trail’ (GHT) without assistance, guides or porters.
As highlighted by the two mountaineers, “the journey is one of the most complicated in the world and so far very few expeditions have achieved the crossing without assistance, and in none of the cases were its members under 26 years old.”
They are also the first Spaniards to descend on this historic route that crosses the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world from the easternmost and the westernmost point of the Nepalese Himalayas.
Unanue and Benedict detailed that they embarked on the extreme route of the GHT, starting from the base camp of Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, and ended up in the small Tibetan town of Tumkot in Humla – all without ropes or harnesses.
Increïble… però cert! Després de caminar durant més de 1.700 km i pujar i baixar 175.000 metres de desnivell en 99 dies, ens hem convertit en els més joves (i unes de les poquíssimes persones) del món que han creuat l'Himàlaia caminant. UAU!!😱😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/Uthyc8QlwG — Sergi Unanue (@SergiUnanue) February 4, 2020
Increïble… però cert! Després de caminar durant més de 1.700 km i pujar i baixar 175.000 metres de desnivell en 99 dies, ens hem convertit en els més joves (i unes de les poquíssimes persones) del món que han creuat l'Himàlaia caminant. UAU!!😱😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/Uthyc8QlwG
— Sergi Unanue (@SergiUnanue) February 4, 2020
Unanue expressed that the experience “has been worthwhile”, not only because of the landscapes they have seen, from rice fields, deserts to glaciers, but because they have been given a culturally diverse insight into the region’s people and have stretched their limits.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don’t already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.