A wheelchair-bound Australian is aiming to become the first paraplegic to reach Everest base camp unaided, a breathless trek he reckons he will make mostly on his hands.
Scott Doolan, 28, sets out today for Mount Everest's base camp, which lies 5,364 metres above sea level and is traditionally only accessible on foot or by helicopter. He is out to prove that it is also accessible to wheelchair users.
Doolan will be using a specially designed wheelchair with mountain bike wheels when the trails allow, but thinks he will mostly be on his hands with a friend holding his legs in a move he's dubbed "wheelbarrowing".
"I jump out of my chair and my mate Matt, he'll grab me and hold my ankles and I basically walk on my hands," he said, explaining a technique that's similar to the wheelbarrow race of school sports days.
Doolan has spent the last eight months training for the trek, doing daily cardiovascular and strength training.
He also spent time in Australia's Blue Mountains to get some experience on trails, wearing a mask that limits oxygen flow in a bid to replicate the high altitude conditions that await him in the Himalayas.
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The dramatic trek to Everest base camp begins from Lukla -- 140 kilometres (86 miles) east of Kathmandu -- and follows an ancient trading route that once linked Nepal and Tibet, taking hikers over a soaring pass before dropping down into the lush Khumjung valley.
A series of narrow suspension bridges criss-cross the river that runs along the valley floor, before the route climbs sharply towards the base of Mount Everest.
Along the route there are steps and narrow paths hewn into the valley wall, forcing hikers to clamber over rocks and occasionally trek in snow or mud, all at an altitude where limited oxygen can cause headaches and nausea, and if left untreated a potentially fatal build-up of fluid in the lungs.
"I have no idea what it's going to be like. Obviously there are going to be parts when I can't physically go in a wheelchair so I'm going to get out and use my hands. That will probably be the most challenging of it all," Doolan said.
"Hopefully I don't get altitude sickness."