Carlos Soria Fontán
Encyclopedia
Carlos Soria Fontán is a Spanish mountain climber who, at more than 70 years of age, has taken up the challenge of becoming the oldest person in the world to reach of summit of the 14 highest mountains in the world. He is the only mountaineer to have ascended nine mountains of more than 8,000 meters after turning 60, and he is the oldest person in history to have successfully climbed the K2
K2
K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...

 (65 years old), Broad Peak
Broad Peak
Broad Peak , is the 12th highest mountain on Earth, with an elevation of 8,051 meters . The literal translation of "Broad Peak" to Faichan Kangri is not accepted among the Balti people.- Geography :...

 (68), Makalu
Makalu
Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world at and is located southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China...

 (69), Gasherbrum I
Gasherbrum I
Gasherbrum I , also known as Hidden Peak or K5, is the 11th highest peak on Earth, located on the Pakistan-China border in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan and Xinjiang region of China. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum massif, located in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya...

 (70) and Manaslu
Manaslu
Manaslu , also known as Kutang) is the eighth highest mountain in the world, and is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. Its name, which means "Mountain of the Spirit", comes from the Sanskrit word Manasa, meaning "intellect" or "soul"...

 (71 years old).

Begginings

Carlos Soria first became interested in mountaineering when, at the age of only 14, he set out to ascend the Sierra de Guadarrama (province of Madrid, Spain), accompanied by a friend, Antonio Riaño. That was the first of many climbs until at the age of 21 he moved up to a different category altogether: accompanied by another friend, in 1960 he rode a Vespa all the way to the Alps for his first high-difficult climbings.

In 1968, he was on the first Spanish expedition to Russia to climb Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe (5,642 meters), and in 1971 he went on an expedition to Alaska's Mount McKinley, at 6,194 meters the highest mountain peak in North America.

Ever since, Soria has been inextricably linked to the history of Spanish mountain climbing. In 1973 and 1975 he took part in the first Spanish expeditions to the Himalayas, witnessing Spain's first successful ascent of an eight-thousander, by Jerónimo López and Gerardo Blázquez. It was not until 1990, however, that he achieved his first 'eight-thousander'—17 years after his first attempt. As it turns out, in 2010 he first climbed Mount Manaslu, 37 years after his first attempt, which attests to his tenacity and determination to succeed.

Carlos Soria has undertaken most of his expeditions practically solo, assisted only by some sherpas and porters, in particular, Muktu Sherpa, who has accompanied him on six expeditions and four 8,000-meter ascents (K-2, Shisha Pagma, Manaslu and Lhotse). However, since July 2011, Soria has been supported by the Spanish bank BBVA, allowing him to face the last of his planned 14 ‘'eight-thousanders' with greater guarantees and resources.
Carlos Soria has become a leading sports figure because of his achievement of extraordinary feats at an age when most persons of his generation are spectators. His 2004 ascent of the K2 (8,611 meters) at the age of 65—by comparison, the Austrian Kurt Diemberger accomplished this at the age of 54—and his 2008 solo ascent without oxygen of the Makalu (8,463 meters), have revolutionized mountaineering.

An example of values

Carlos Soria's great contribution is that he has given a practical example of how even seniors can have full lives, both physically and mentally, which is an important inspiration for thousands of persons of all ages who regularly follow his expeditions.
Despite the passage of time and the changes in top-tier mountain climbing, Carlos Soria continues to eschew competitive mountaineering events. Soria is a frequent speaker at numerous forums and congresses, where he advocates enjoying nature and spreads his message of the importance of prudence and intelligently facing risks.
His local roots and personal simplicity add a human side to his adventures, further boosting his popularity in Spain. No other person in the world of his age is involved in a project to climb all 14 ‘'eight-thousanders' on Earth. The mere fact that he is attempting this feat is putting elite mountaineering in the spotlight, not only from the standpoint of sports but also from the standpoint of science, given Soria's decades of cooperation with the Department of Sports Medicine of Spain's National Institute of Physical Education.

In chronological order

  1. Nanga Parbat
    Nanga Parbat
    Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain on Earth, the second highest mountain in Pakistan and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters...

     (8.125 m.), Pakistán
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    , 1990
  2. Gasherbrum II
    Gasherbrum II
    Gasherbrum II , also known as K4, is the 13th highest mountain on Earth, located on the border of Gilgit-Baltistan province, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China...

     (8.035 m.), China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    /Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    , 1994
  3. Cho Oyu
    Cho Oyu
    Cho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu lies in the Himalayas and is 20 km west of Mount Everest, at the border between China and Nepal...

     (8.201 m.), China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    /Nepal
    Nepal
    Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

    , 1999
  4. Everest (8.848 m.), China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    /Nepal
    Nepal
    Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

    , 2001
  5. K2
    K2
    K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...

     (8.611 m.), China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    /Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    , 2004
  6. Shisha Pangma (8.027 m.), Tibet
    Tibet
    Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

    , 2005
  7. Broad Peak
    Broad Peak
    Broad Peak , is the 12th highest mountain on Earth, with an elevation of 8,051 meters . The literal translation of "Broad Peak" to Faichan Kangri is not accepted among the Balti people.- Geography :...

     (8.047 m.), China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    /Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    , 2007
  8. Makalu
    Makalu
    Makalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world at and is located southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China...

     (8.465 m.), China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    /Nepal
    Nepal
    Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

    , 2008
  9. Gasherbrum I
    Gasherbrum I
    Gasherbrum I , also known as Hidden Peak or K5, is the 11th highest peak on Earth, located on the Pakistan-China border in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan and Xinjiang region of China. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum massif, located in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya...

     (8.068 m.), China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    /Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    , 2009
  10. Manaslu
    Manaslu
    Manaslu , also known as Kutang) is the eighth highest mountain in the world, and is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. Its name, which means "Mountain of the Spirit", comes from the Sanskrit word Manasa, meaning "intellect" or "soul"...

     (8.156 m.), Nepal
    Nepal
    Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

    , 2010
  11. Lhotse
    Lhotse
    Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, Lhotse Middle is and Lhotse Shar is...

     (8.516 m.), China
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

    /Nepal
    Nepal
    Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

    , 2011

A life in sports

  • 11 summits above 8,000 meters
  • Oldest person in history to have climbed K2 (8,611 meters), Broad Peak (8,047 meters), Makalu (8,463 meters), Manaslu (8,163 meters) and Lhotse (8,516 meters)
  • Only mountaineer in the world to have climbed nine mountains of more than 8,000 meters after turning 60
  • First person in the world to reach the peak of the Dome Khang (7,260 meters)
  • Ascent of the 70 highest summits of 7 continents—a challenge that he completed when he was more than 70 years old: Elbrus (Europe-1968), McKinley (North America-1971), Aconcagua (South America-1986), Everest (Asia-2001), Mount Vinson (Antarctica- 2007), Carstensz (Oceania-2010) and Kilimanjaro (Africa-2010).

Awards

  • Silver Medal for Sporting Achievement, Spain's High Council of Sports, 2011
  • National Award, Spanish Geographic Society
  • Gold Medal, Peñalara Royal Society in 1991, 1994, 2000, 2002 and 2004.
  • Silver Medal for Sporting Achievement, Madrid Regional Government
  • Gold Medal, Spanish Mountaineering Federation, 1968, 1971 and 1975
  • Sportsperson of the Year, Spanish Mountaineering Federation, 1976
  • Sportsperson of the Year, Spanish Ski Federation, 1979
  • Admittance into the Royal Order of Sports Achievement with a bronze medal presented by H.M., Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, in 2001

Interviews and features


Documentaries


External links

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