05:18 | Lima, May 19 (ANDINA).
After several days of acclimatization in the Himalayas, Peruvian hiker Richard Hidalgo has started to climb Mount Everest, between Nepal and China, with the aim of becoming the first Peruvian to conquer the highest mountain in the world.
In the midst of adverse weather, like intense wind, cold and snow, Hidalgo is in the base camp installed at the foot of the mountain at an altitude of 6,200 meters, along with other climbers who pursue the same goal.
Despite the bad weather, he said climbers make leisurely round trips from the base camp to camp 1, built at an altitude of 6,800 meters, which exceeds even the altitude of the highest peak in Peru, the Huascaran (6,768 meters).
These round trips last about five hours and allow climbers to accustom their bodies to the rigours of high altitude exposure because the next step is to get to camp 2, which is located 7.700 meters above sea level, Hidalgo told Andina via e-mail.
Richard Hidalgo has previously summited Shisha Pangma (8027 meters) and Cho Oyu (8201 meters). Richard also attempted Manaslu in 2008.
Hidalgo began his career as a hiker in Club Andino Peruano, then worked in the Mountain Guides Association of Peru in Huaraz and now he works as a certified guide for the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association.
Hidalgo has climbed peaks in countries such as the United States, Ecuador, Venezuela and Tibet.
(END) MVF/RRC/AVC
Published: 5/18/2009