- James Muhia, the best friend of the late Kenyan climber Cheruiyot Kirui, emphasized that Kirui’s decision to climb Mount Everest was carefully planned and not impulsive
- He shared a photo of them on Mount Manaslu, highlighting their successful climb without Sherpa support or supplemental oxygen as preparation for Everest
- Muhia urged people to remember Kirui as a skilled and accomplished climber rather than focusing on criticisms of his safety precautions
James Muhia, the best friend of Kenyan climber Cheruiyot Kirui, who died while attempting to scale the highest peak in the world, has spoken out to clarify that Kirui’s decision to climb was not made impulsively.
Muhia shared a photo of himself with the late Kirui, both wearing mountaineering gear at 8163 meters on Mount Manaslu on September 24, 2023.
This peak is of similar height to where Kirui met his end.
Muhia highlighted that they had climbed Mount Manaslu without the support of Sherpa guides or supplemental oxygen and urged people to stop criticizing Kirui for not carrying supplemental oxygen.
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He explained that their successful ascent of Mount Manaslu was intended to prepare them for their planned climb of Mount Everest this year.
Muhia, who was supposed to join Kirui three weeks ago for the Everest expedition but withdrew at the last minute due to personal reasons, praised Kirui’s mountaineering skills.
He emphasized that Kirui had achieved feats that he himself could only admire.
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Addressing the rumors circulating among netizens and Kenyans, Muhia urged people to remember Kirui as a legend and not to focus on the notion that he was reckless.
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He stressed that his own decision to withdraw from the Everest climb was not out of fear and affirmed his confidence in Kirui’s ability to keep himself safe, as he had done in many other dangerous missions.
Cheruiyot AK did not just wake up and decide to head to Mt. Everest. This is him and myself at the summit of Mt. Manaslu (8163m) on 24th September 2023. We climbed this mountain without supplemental oxygen and without Sherpa support. It was a climb to prepare us for Mt. Everest. I was supposed to accompany him on this expedition but I pulled out 3 weeks to the expedition due to personal reasons. I trusted him with my life on Manaslu. I did not have any doubts on Everest. He has accomplished things that I can only admire. Some I am sure I will never accomplish. As you air your opinions on risks and all, it’s important to remember who he is and what he has accomplished. We choose to honour him for who he is.
