Boyan Petrov
During the presentation of his book "The First Seven", February 6, 2017.
Born(1973-02-07)7 February 1973
Sofia, Bulgaria
Disappeared5 May 2018 (aged 45)
Shishapangma, Tibet, China
StatusMissing for 5 years, 10 months and 22 days
NationalityBulgarian
Occupation(s)Mountaineer, zoologist
Known forClimbing 10 out of the 14 eight-thousanders without supplementary oxygen

Boyan Petrov (Bulgarian: Боян Петров, born 7 February 1973 – disappeared 5 May 2018[1]) was a Bulgarian zoologist and mountaineer, who worked at the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia.[2]

He was married to Radoslava Nenova and they have a child – Yavor Petrov.

At the time of his disappearance he had climbed 10 out of the 14 eight-thousanders, all without supplemental oxygen. As of October 2019, this achievement tied him with Atanas Skatov as the Bulgarian climber with the highest number of successful ascents of 8000 meter peaks. He was the first Bulgarian to climb four of those mountains: Gasherbrum I (2009), Kangchenjunga (2014), K2 (2014) and Manaslu (2015).

Achievements

On 20 May 2014 he became the first Bulgarian to climb the third highest peak on Earth Kangchenjunga (8586m), as well as the first diabetic to ascend to such an altitude and without oxygen.[3][4] On 23 July he climbed Broad Peak (8047m).[5] On 31 July 2014 he became the first Bulgarian to climb the second highest peak on the planet K2 (8611m), which also made him the 35th person to climb three eight-thousanders in less than 100 days.[6] His double climb – on Broad Peak and K2 – in 8 days, is also a world record.[5] For these remarkable successes the Bulgarian climber was greeted with a video message by mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner.[5] His documentary film about his climbs "3x8000" was broadcast on Bulgarian National Television in December 2014.[7][8] He reached the summit of Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m) on 29 September 2017 at 01:00 pm without the help of supplementary oxygen.[9]

Boyan Petrov was a cancer survivor and a diabetic.[10] In 2008 he fell while climbing in the Alps and broke his leg.[11] During the descent of Gasherbrum II in 2009 he fell in a glacial crevasse and was saved by a group of Spanish climbers.[12] In 2013 Petrov suffered another leg fracture due to a car accident.[11] Despite his injuries, in the following year he achieved a hat-trick by successfully climbing Kangchenjunga, Broad Peak, and K2 with internal fixators in this leg.[13] After the descent of K2, he suffered a serious hypoglycemic crisis while in base camp, lost consciousness and was able to recover with the help of Polish climbers.[14][15]

Disappearance

Petrov was declared missing while climbing Shishapangma. On 5 May 2018 his tent and sleeping bag were found in the area of Camp-3 of the mountain., which is around 7,300 metres altitude. Due to Bulgarian diplomatic efforts, for the first time in 20 years, a Nepalese rescue helicopter was allowed to fly above China. No other signs of him were found either around Camp-3 or on the Shishapangma.[16] The search for him was discontinued on 16 May.[17] According to other climbers, he may have fallen into a crevasse on the way to the top.[18]

Ascents of peaks over 6000 meters

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:[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Край на операцията... Боян остава завинаги под Шиша Пангма! | Dnes.bg" (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  2. ^ Boyal Petrov, NMNHS
  3. ^ Тайнствен глас водил Боян Петров към върха Archived 13 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Монитор
  4. ^ Bulgarian Mountaineer Boyan Petrov Climbs Kangchenjunga Summit
  5. ^ a b c Boyan Petrov: The most successful summer of Bulgarian mountaineering, Bulgarian National Radio
  6. ^ Боян Петров: Най-добрият алпинист е живият алпинист OFFNews
  7. ^ БНТ излъчва втора част на филма „3x8000“
  8. ^ БНТ излъчва филм за алпиниста Боян Петров
  9. ^ "Bulgarian mountaineer Boyan Petrov summited Dhaulagiri without Oxygen". dreamwanderlust.com. 2 October 2017.
  10. ^ Гергана Лабова, "Боян Петров: жив си, когато не се отказваш", www.gnezdoto.net, 2015, in Bulgarian. Retrieved 28-07-2016.
  11. ^ a b Мара Калчева, "Боян Петров: Диабетик съм, но катеря осемхилядници!", www.blitz.bg, 28-05-2013, in Bulgarian. Retrieved 28-07-2016.
  12. ^ Бойко Оков, "Покорителят на Гашербрум -1 и Гашербрум – 2 Боян Петров: Бях сам, спикел и щека на 30 метра от върха", www.verticalworld.net, 28-08-2009, in Bulgarian. Retrieved 28-07-2016.
  13. ^ Бойко Оков, "Властелинът на осемхилядниците покорил К2 с 12 пирона в крака", www.blitz.bg, 17-08-2014, in Bulgarian. Retrieved 28-07-2016.
  14. ^ Michał Bugno, "Dziękują Polakom za uratowanie człowieka na Broad Peak. "To bohaterstwo!", sport.wp.pl, 12-09-2014, in Polish. Retrieved 28-07-2016.
  15. ^ Стефан Чолаков, "Боян Петров: Под К-2 имах криза заради кръвната захар" Archived 16 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, "24 часа", 14-08-2014, in Bulgarian. Retrieved 28-07-2016.
  16. ^ Boyan Petrov (1973–2018), bat researcher
  17. ^ "The final report puts to rest all speculations surrounding the Boyan Petrov Search Operation", "Dream Wanderlust", 17.05.2018.
  18. ^ "Boyan Petrov's Team: The Rescue Operation is Over". Novinite.xom. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  19. ^ CV of Boyan Petrov, National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Official Site. Retrieved 24-05-2016.
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