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Boyan Petrov
Boyan Petrov (cropped head shot).jpg
During the presentation of his book "The First Seven", February 6, 2017.
Born (1973-02-07)7 February 1973
Disappeared 5 May 2018 (aged 45)
Shishapangma, Tibet, China
Status Missing for 7 years, 1 month and 3 days
Nationality Bulgarian
Occupation Mountaineer, zoologist
Known for Climbing 10 out of the 14 eight-thousanders without supplementary oxygen

Boyan Petrov (Bulgarian: Боян Петров) was a famous Bulgarian mountaineer and zoologist. He was born on February 7, 1973. Boyan worked at the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia.

He was married to Radoslava Nenova. They had a child named Yavor Petrov. Boyan was known for his amazing climbing skills. He climbed very tall mountains without extra oxygen.

At the time he went missing, Boyan had climbed 10 of the 14 highest mountains in the world. These mountains are called eight-thousanders because they are over 8,000 meters (about 26,247 feet) tall. He climbed all of them without using extra oxygen. This was a huge achievement. He was the first Bulgarian to reach the top of four of these giant mountains. These were Gasherbrum I (in 2009), Kangchenjunga (in 2014), K2 (in 2014), and Manaslu (in 2015).

Boyan's Amazing Climbs

Boyan Petrov achieved many incredible things. On May 20, 2014, he became the first Bulgarian to climb Kangchenjunga. This is the third highest mountain on Earth, standing at 8,586 meters (28,169 feet). He was also the first person with diabetes to climb so high without extra oxygen.

Just a few months later, on July 23, he climbed Broad Peak (8,047 meters or 26,401 feet). Then, on July 31, 2014, he made history again. He became the first Bulgarian to climb K2, the second highest mountain in the world. K2 is 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) tall.

Climbing three eight-thousanders in less than 100 days was a huge feat. Boyan also set a world record by climbing Broad Peak and K2 in just 8 days! The famous mountaineer Reinhold Messner even sent him a video message. Boyan made a film about his climbs called "3x8000." It was shown on Bulgarian National Television. In 2017, he also reached the top of Dhaulagiri (8,167 meters or 26,795 feet) without oxygen.

Overcoming Challenges

Boyan Petrov faced many challenges in his life. He had survived cancer. He also lived with diabetes. This meant his body had to work harder to climb.

He had some serious accidents too. In 2008, he broke his leg while climbing in the Alps. In 2009, he fell into a deep crack in the ice, called a crevasse, on Gasherbrum II. Luckily, Spanish climbers saved him. In 2013, he broke his leg again in a car accident.

Despite these injuries, Boyan kept climbing. The very next year, he climbed Kangchenjunga, Broad Peak, and K2. He even had metal plates in his leg from the surgery. After climbing K2, he had a serious low blood sugar event. This is called a hypoglycemic crisis. He passed out at base camp but Polish climbers helped him recover.

His Disappearance

Boyan Petrov was reported missing on May 5, 2018. He was climbing Shishapangma in the Himalayas. This mountain is 8,027 meters (26,335 feet) tall. The search for him continued until May 16, but he was not found. Other climbers believe he might have fallen into a crevasse on his way to the top.

Mountains Boyan Climbed

Boyan Petrov climbed many high peaks. Here is a list of some of his ascents:

Year Peak Height Mountain State Notes
2001 Broad Peak 8047 m Karakoram  Pakistan Altitude reached 7300 m
2003 Lenin Peak 7134 m Pamir  Kyrgyzstan
2004 Aconcagua 6962 m Andes  Argentina
2004 Denali 6195 m American Cordillera  USA
2005 K2 8611 m Karakoram  Pakistan Altitude reached 8200 m
2007 Khan Tengri 6995 m Tian Shan  Kazakhstan
2009 Gasherbrum I 8080 m Karakoram  Pakistan First Bulgarian ascent. Without oxygen
2009 Gasherbrum II 8035 m Karakoram  Pakistan Altitude reached 8030 m
2010 Peak Korzhenevskaya 7105 m Pamir  Tajikistan
2010 Ismoil Somoni Peak 7495 m Pamir  Tajikistan
2014 Kangchenjunga 8586 m Himalayas  Nepal First Bulgarian ascent. Without oxygen
2014 Broad Peak 8047 m Karakoram  Pakistan Without oxygen
2014 K2 8611 m Karakoram  Pakistan First Bulgarian ascent. Without oxygen
2015 Manaslu 8163 m Himalayas  Nepal First Bulgarian ascent. Without oxygen
2016 Annapurna I 8091 m Himalayas  Nepal Without oxygen
2016 Makalu 8485 m Himalayas  Nepal Without oxygen
2016 Nanga Parbat 8126 m Himalayas  Pakistan Without oxygen
2017 Gasherbrum II 8035 m Karakoram  Pakistan Without oxygen
2017 Dhaulagiri 8167 m Himalayas  Nepal Without oxygen
2018 Shishapangma 8027 m Himalayas  China Reached Camp 3 at 7,500 m before disappearing

     Eight-thousanders climbed.

Source:

See also

  • Hristo Prodanov
  • List of deaths on eight-thousanders
  • List of people who disappeared
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