Defying Limits: Double Amputee Becomes First to Summit Every Continent’s Highest Peak
Reading Time: 4 minutes
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Summary:
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British war veteran Hari Budha Magar becomes first double amputee to conquer the Seven Summits
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Magar lost both legs above the knee to an IED while serving in Afghanistan in 2010
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Completed the final climb atop Antarctica’s Mount Vinson on January 6, 2026
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Previously won a Nepal court battle to overturn a ban on disabled Everest climbers
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At 10 p.m. on January 6, 2026, Hari Budha Magar, MBE, stood atop Mount Vinson—Antarctica’s highest point—and made history. The 46-year-old British war veteran, who lost both legs above the knee to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, had officially become the first double amputee ever to complete the Seven Summits: the tallest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents.
It was a feat that many considered nearly impossible. Only 500 people in recorded history have achieved it with all their limbs intact.
The final ascent was brutal. Temperatures plunged to -25°C (-13°F) as Magar and his team fought their way up the rocky summit ridge over three grueling days. At points, the terrain was so treacherous that Magar was forced to crawl on all fours. Still, he pressed on.
He described the climb as “very tough”. The challenging conditions forced him to crawl on all fours. As Magar and his team carefully climbed along the rocky ridge of the summit—much of which he had to crawl—he was able to look up and admire the breathtaking views, where “Antarctic mountain peaks pierced through a thin layer of cloud” beneath them.
From Courtroom to Summit
The achievement caps a six-year journey that began not on a mountaintop, but in a courtroom. When Magar first applied to climb Mount Everest in 2018, Nepalese authorities denied his request under a policy banning disabled climbers. Rather than walk away, he challenged the ruling in Nepal’s high court—and won. In May 2023, he stood on Everest’s summit, becoming the first double above-knee amputee to do so in history.
That victory set the stage for an even larger mission. Over the following years, Magar systematically worked through the remaining peaks: Mont Blanc in Europe (August 2019), Kilimanjaro in Africa (January 2020), Denali in North America (June 2024), Aconcagua in South America (February 2025), Puncak Jaya in Oceania (October 2025), and finally Mount Vinson in Antarctica.
Each climb required specialized equipment—including custom-built prosthetic legs, feet, and sockets developed in collaboration with prosthetics company Ottobock. He also worked with Parajumpers for a summit suit engineered specifically for the harsh Antarctic environment.
Surviving Afghanistan
But the physical challenges, as extreme as they are, may not have been Magar’s hardest. A former soldier in the British Army’s Gurkha regiment, Magar lost his legs in 2010 when an IED detonated beneath him during a deployment in Afghanistan. The road to recovery was harrowing. He struggled with suicidal thoughts and addiction before finding his way back through sport and adventure: first skydiving, then skiing and golf, and eventually mountaineering.
Magar described losing his legs as devastating, saying it was harder than anyone could imagine. Despite facing darkness, disappointment, and a loss of self-worth, he received support and love that helped him persevere. The IED nearly took his life, but he was given a second chance. Driven by this, he aimed to do something positive and serve as an inspiration to others.
Climbing for a Cause
The Pride of Britain award winner, now based in Canterbury, Kent, carries a message he hopes will reach far beyond the mountaineering world. Through his “Conquering Dreams — 7 Summits” challenge, he raises money for disability and veterans’ charities, and uses every summit as a platform for disability awareness.
“A disability shouldn’t limit the size of your dream or your ability to achieve it,” he said. “Yes, you might need to adapt your approach, get help, or think differently—but you can do it. If a family man like me from Canterbury can do it, why can’t anyone else?”
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