A climber, who years back returned from a near death, has become the first Japanese to scale all the world's 14 tallest peaks.
Hirotaka Takeuchi achieved the feat by climbing 8,167 metre Mt Dhaulagiri on May 26 to complete his mission of scaling all the world's over 8,000 metre peaks, Nepal's Tourism Ministry announced today.
Takeuchi, five years ago was almost given up for dead as an avalanche swept him down 300 metres after he had climbed 8,080 Mt Gasherbrum peak in the Karakorams in Pakistan.
Two German climbers were killed in the freak mishap, but the Japanese climber was pulled out from 300 metres deep snow by other mountaineers and brought to safety by helicopter.
"It has been my childhood dream to scale all the world's highest peaks," said the Japanese climber after achieving the feat.
Takeuchi became the first Japanese and 30th climber in the world who have done the feat.
His ascents include Mt Everest, Mt K2, Mt Kanchenjunga, the world's three highest summits.
But the Japanese climber does not intend to rest his oars and said, "I will continue to climb as long as my body allows it."