Cheruiyot Kirui once hiked Mt. Kenya three times in one day, close friend reveals

Kenyan climber James Muhia, a close friend of Cheruiyot Kirui who died this week while attempting to summit Mt. Everest, has spoken on the deceased’s journey in mountaineering.

This after Nepali mountaineering news website Everest Today on Thursday announced that Kirui’s body had been found just metres away from the peak of the world’s highest mountain, a day after he went missing together with his guide.

Despite Kirui’s dream of being the first African to summit Mt. Everest which stands at 8,848.86 meters above sea level without supplemental oxygen being cut short, Muhia remains confident that his long-time friend was headed to set a new world record.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Muhia termed Kirui as an ‘ultra-runner’ in matters of mountaineering, who had all it takes to summit Everest, before his life was cut short.

Having scaled the continent’s top mountains, Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro multiple times in the company of Kirui, Muhia says the deceased’s resilience and physique were unmatched.

At one point, Muhia says, Kirui climbed Mt. Kenya three times in one day and made it to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro within 15 hours.

“Kirui is well capable as he has run up and down Mt. Kenya; we call him an ultra-runner. I am not questioning his capabilities. It is just a mountain accident. His abilities were not questionable. He does 150 km hikes within 6 days,” he said.

“I am confident that he was prepared because he has climbed Mt. Kenya 15 times and would run up and down three times within 24 hours. He has run up and down Mt. Kilimanjaro in 15 hours, that is from the gate to the summit and back.”

Muhia allayed concerns surrounding Kirui’s death reiterating that the latter was experienced, well-prepared and focused on setting a new record.

Regarding Kirui’s death at about 8,800 metres with only 48.86 metres remaining to reach the summit, Muhia said they had already ascended a similar height of the world’s eighth highest mountain, Mt. Manaslu which is part of the Nepalese Himalayas standing at 8,163 metres above sea level without supplemental oxygen.

“He was very capable because we have been running together in Mt. Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro and recently we did Mt. Manaslu on September 24, 2023, without supplemental oxygen,” Muhia stated.

He further rubbished the misinformation surrounding the cause of death of Kirui, stating with certainty that his friend accidentally fell to his death due to a recent incident that resulted in the collapse of a certain climbing route that killed three orther people.

“He must have fallen because the previous day there was a route collapse which caused the deaths of three people and opened cravers. The Sherpa was using oxygen while Kirui was not,” Muhia added.

Muhia believes he is lucky to be alive since they were supposed to be on the Everest expedition together had he not pulled out of the mission, prompting Kirui to seek out the Nepali Sherpa identified as Nawang.

“I had to pull out of the expedition three weeks before for personal reasons. We were very close because this is a person you are entrusting your life to. While at Mt. Manaslu, we were heavily dependent on each other and trusted on one another,” he said.

“He was resilient and we supported one another; at one point, my right hand had frostbite and he was there. His death is very sad for me.”

Following Kirui’s death, experts are still at pains on how and if his body will be retrieved from the height dubbed the ‘death zone.’

Muhia is optimistic that recovery is still possible but opines that hefty resources in terms of finances and manpower will have to be deployed. 

According to Muhia, about 10 or more sherpas will have to be dispatched to retrieve the body and carry it down slope to about 7,500 metres where a chopper can then be used to ferry it.

“It is possible to retrieve his body but it is extremely challenging because of the huge resources in terms of finances and the expedition team consisting of Nepal Sherpas. The weather is also dangerous. All these factors have to be put together, and a team of 10 sherpas and a helicopter which can only go upto 7,500 metres will be needed,” he explained.

In the face of the unfortunate incident that has claimed his friend's life, Muhia is not ready to give up on his dream of mountaineering.

He says he has never scaled Mt. Everest but wishes to try his luck and relive Kirui's dream by putting his own name on the map.

“Whereas these are the saddest news of mountaineering, it would be wrong for me to stop mountaineering because of this news,” said Muhia.

“I haven't climbed Everest before. We were to do this with him. It's always in my plan.”