site.btaVisually Impaired Bulgarian Victor Asenov Competes in First Everesting World Championship on Mount Etna

Visually impaired para athlete Victor Asenov impressed with his participation in the inaugural Everesting World Championship, held on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. Together with Diliana Hristova, he rode a tandem bicycle for 93 km, achieving nearly 3,000 metres of elevation gain.

The challenge was to complete a full “Everesting” – climbing repeatedly along a set route until reaching a total elevation gain equal to the height of Mount Everest (8,848 m). Like all competitors in the top category, Asenov and Hristova needed to complete seven ascents from the start in Linguaglossa to the course’s endpoint at the foot of Etna.

The pair managed almost two and a half laps before withdrawing. “I felt strong pain in my knees. Even though I tried to keep going, we had to stop,” Asenov explained.

Six months earlier, Asenov became the first visually impaired para athlete in the world to complete an Everesting, when he climbed from Aleko Hut to Mount Cherni Vrah 19 times on snow in 46 hours without sleep. That achievement earned him an invitation to the championship in Sicily.

“I want to thank everyone for their support. I’m very happy that Diliana agreed to ride with me, even though it was really tough," he said.