Alpinist and photojournalist Cory Richards successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest Monday, smartphone in hand.
Despite a deadly week on the world’s highest mountain, the climber managed to make the climb without the help of supplemental oxygen and documented the entire climb on Snapchat.
Under the username “EverestNoFilter,” Richards and his climbing partner Adrian Ballinger shared images and videos of their journey on Snapchat, offering a firsthand glimpse at the beauty of a mountain with a deadly history.
Four climbers have died on Everest in the past four days alone, while two others are missing.
According to the latest update on Snapchat, Richards began his descent from the summit of Everest early Tuesday. He made the entire journey without supplemental oxygen.
Most climbers use supplemental oxygen due to the low levels of gas in the high-altitude air.
Ballinger did not make it to the summit; he elected to turn around and begin using oxygen mid-way to the summit.
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But Richards isn’t out of the woods yet. Many people become sick, some fatally, while making the descent from the summit.
On Saturday, Australian Maria Strydom died after developing altitude sickness while descending the mountain. The 34-year-old climbed the mountain to prove that her vegan diet was enough to get her through the trek.
Mount Everest has been plagued with disaster over the last two years. In 2014, an avalanche killed 16 Sherpa guides near the base camp. Last year, another avalanche triggered by a powerful earthquake, killed 19 climbers and injured 16 others.
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