A Nepalese man has shattered the previous mountaineering record for successfully climbing the world's 14 highest peaks, completing the feat in 189 days.
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Nirmal Purja scaled the 8,027-metre Mount Shishapangma in China on Tuesday, which was the last of the 14 peaks, all more than 8,000 metres in height.
The previous record for climbing the 14 peaks was seven years, 10 months and six days. That was set by South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho in 2013.
An expedition spokesman said the 36-year-old Purja was in good health and safely descending from the summit.
Climbing experts called the record a momentous achievement in mountaineering history.
"It is a great achievement for mountaineering and mountaineers and a milestone in the history of climbing," said Ang Tshering, who previously headed the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
A former soldier in the British army, Purja quit earlier this year to begin his mission of climbing all the highest peaks, including Mount Everest in record time.
Purja's photo of a long line of climbers just below the Mount Everest summit was widely circulated on social media in May. It raised concerns about overcrowding and the safety of climbers spending so much time on the highest point of the earth for hours stuck on a traffic jam.
Australian Associated Press