Simone Moro of Italy was airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu today after suffering a heart attack while in the village of Khare in Nepal. Three days ago, he speed climbed up Mera Peak (6,476m).
Moro, 58, was in the Mera Peak area of the Khumbu Valley, acclimatizing for an alpine-style climb on winter Manaslu with Nima Rinji Sherpa of Nepal and Oswald Pereira of Poland. Moro and Nima Rinji arrived in Khare village on Sunday, December 7. Their acclimatization plan involved climbing Mera Peak at least twice and possibly sleeping on its summit.
Sick upon return
On December 10, Moro and Nima Rinji set off from Mera’s high camp (at around 5,800m) and reached the top in 2 hours and 20 minutes, The Tourism Times reports.
Apparently, Moro felt sick once back in Khare, and they called for an emergency evacuation.
“According to hospital officials, Moro underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery and is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at HAMS Hospital,” The Tourism Times noted. “Doctors attending him said his condition is stable.”
Doctors expect Moro to recover, and he will likely make an official announcement once discharged from the hospital. The professional climber also works in Nepal every spring as a rescue helicopter pilot.
Winter preparation
Mera Peak is a snowy, straightforward trekking peak, but it is also the highest trekking peak in Nepal. Moro had explained that the 6,476m summit is approximately the same altitude as Manaslu’s Camp 3, making it perfect for acclimatization before his team begins work on Manaslu on December 21, at the start of astronomical winter.
Nima Rinji Sherpa and Simone Moro in Khotre village some days ago. Photo: Simone Moro
Pereira joined the expedition at the last minute. He reached Khare as Moro and Nima Rinji summited Mera Peak, and climbed up on his own one day later. He made an impressively fast push from Khare to the summit, covering the 1,600 vertical meters in 6 hours and 15 minutes. He topped out just three days after leaving Poland.
Elusive Manaslu
Moro is the only climber who has made four first winter ascents on 8,000m peaks: Shisha Pangma (2005), Makalu (2009), Gasherbrum II (2011), and Nanga Parbat (2016). Moro has attempted to climb Manaslu in winter six times, but bad conditions have prevented him from attempting the mountain as he wanted, in an alpine-style push from base to summit.
Last year, Nima Rinji Sherpa, 19, became the youngest person to summit the 14 8,000’ers. This expedition was meant to be his first experience climbing one of the bigger peaks in alpine style. It is unclear whether Nima Rinji and Pereira will resume the expedition and climb winter Manaslu as originally planned.
