The fastest human-powered Everest ascent from sea level

Brisbane man Oliver Foran set out to break the record for the fastest human-powered ascent of Everest from sea-level. (Supplied) Link copiedShareShare article Brisbane man Oliver Foran set out to break the record for the fastest human-powered ascent of Everest from sea-level.(Supplied)Brisbane mountaineer Oliver Foran has completed his journey from sea level to the summit of Mount Everest for charity, despite every obstacle thrown his way. The wind is howling, the air is thin, and every step and breath hurts. At 8,848 metres above sea level, after 50 days battling exhaustion, avalanches and near-death experiences, 26-year-old Oliver Foran finally reaches the summit of Mount Everest. He has just survived a journey spanning more than a thousand kilometres on some of the world's most unforgiving terrain. The sound of his worn-in boots crunching the ice below his feet mark the moment he believes he set a new world record — the fastest human-powered journey from sea-level to the summit of Everest. But the first person he speaks to isn't there. Through tears and a touch of sleep deprivation-induced delirium, he chokes out the words: "Mum, I made it." The woman who inspired his journey died from brain cancer over a decade ago. But there, on the roof of the world, Oliver Foran swears she's with him. "I've always said my mum's been climbing with me, but in that moment, I knew it," he told ABC News weeks later. On mountaintops like this, there are plenty of egos, arrogance and desires for fame and fortune. But the driving force behind Oliver's pursuit was to raise money for charity. He said the reason he pushed through nearly two months of muscle-shaking exhaustion, bone-chilling cold, sweat and tears was to honour his mum's legacy. The ABC was the first to speak with the mountaineer before he left for his big trek. He partnered with charity YouTurn, with the ambition of raising money to build free gyms for youth across south-east Queensland; doubling as mental health support services with wrap-around, allied care. It's something Oliver believes would have helped him, when he found himself in a dark place seven years after his mum's death. When the obstacles that sought to disrupt his world-record attempt came forth at every twist and turn, he said he had to remind himself of who he was doing it for — those kids. Obstacles like avalanches, near-fatal altitude sickness, and even hallucinations of orcs and Justin Bieber. Oliver began his journey in the Bay of Bengal, in India in early April. It was a tough start. After a scramble to find a replacement for a screw that snapped as he assembled his bike last minute, he was on the road, full of jitters, optimism and ready to tackle cycling through the world's most populated country. It's also one of the world's hottest — he said temperatures soared to 42 degrees while he was there. "I was not ready for the heat. That's just something that I didn't really train for," he said. "The heat was getting to me, along with the pollution. Like, I could hardly breathe." By day four, his optimism had been worn down. There had been countless close calls with trucks on the road, the pain was overwhelming and his mental fortitude was being tested. "By day four, I remember, I'd done 300km leading up to that, but this day was going to be the biggest day so far," he said. "I was about 6 kilometres in [that day] and I just broke down. I just started bawling my eyes out. "By doing that, I actually learned the best lesson of this whole expedition, and it was just to feel the emotion, let it run through you, don't deny yourself the opportunity. "Then just get back on that bike and keep going." What love he had for his bike was lost during those 16 days, amidst 1,150m and 10,000m of elevation of cycling. The moment he reached the Himalayas, he cast it aside. "I held that bike up and then I put it down and I said, I never want to see you again," he laughed. "That was absolutely the appetiser, and then the real work began." The main course and dessert were coming, and so were some of his biggest obstacles. Before climbers can take on Everest, they need to acclimatise to the thinner air to avoid altitude sickness. Oliver did that by scaling two mountains, before climbing Mera Peak — a 6476m high mountain 31km from Mount Everest. "I felt fine, but then I went down with the sun," he said. A quick measure showed his blood-oxygen level was sitting at 46 per cent. "On the mountain, anything under 80 per cent is when alarm bells go off — it's dangerous," he said. He said it felt like someone was standing on his head, his vision was splitting, and for the first time during his journey, he truly wondered whether he'd make it out alive. His condition triggered a night-time evacuation off the mountain on foot, to a camp 75km away in minus 15-degree conditions. The retreat added an additional 10 days to his trip, at a point where he couldn't afford to lose time. His w

The fastest human-powered Everest ascent from sea level

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