Hari makes history as 1st Double Above-Knee Amputee to Summit the Continents tallest peak
At 07:00 on 18 October, 2026 Hari Budha Magar, MBE, and fellow climbers Mingma Sherpa and Abiral Rai made history and summited Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) the tallest mountain in Oceania with an elevation of 4,884m.
This saw Hari become the 1st double above-knee amputee in history to do so, and marks the completion of the 6thpeak of his 7 summits campaign, which he hopes to complete in December 2025/January 2026 in Antarctica.
Hari is climbing the 7 Summits to make awareness of disability, and to inspire others to ‘climb their own mountains’, whatever they may be, and conquer their dreams.
On the climb Hari comments:
“I found Puncak Jaya to be one of the most technical mountains of the 7 Summits, but with encouragement and teamwork, we all made the summit together.
“I would like to thank my team Mingma Sherpa and Abiral Rai who came all the way from Nepal to support me, along with two local guides Poxi and Hatta, the teams at Seven Summit Treks, 14 Peaks Expeditions, and local company Tropic Adventures for arranging our logistics. “
Abiral Rai add:
“Climbing Puncak Jaya was both mentally and physically challenging. Every step, from the ascent to the descent, required full focus and careful technique. The Tyrolean traverse was the most exciting part — a unique and unforgettable challenge in my mountaineering journey. This expedition left a deep impression on me and became one of my most special memories. It was more than just a climb; giving me a new experience of mountaineering culture in one of the most beautiful and remarkable places in the world.”
Mingma summed up the technical challenge of this climb simply: “I’ve summited 10 times on Mt. Everest but Puncak Jaya was harder than Mt. Everest.”
The difficult of this climb is exemplified in this video of Hari crossing the Tyrolean Traverse on the mountain.
Hari continues
“This wouldn’t be possible without support of my family, friends, charities, communities, my amazing sponsors and supporters, so big thank you to you all.”
Puncak Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid is on the island of New Guinea, with an elevation of 4,884m, it is the highest mountain peak of an island on Earth, and the highest peak in Indonesia and within Oceania. The mountain is located in the Sudirman Range of the highlands of Mimika Regency, Central Papua, Indonesia.
