Canterbury Gurkha completes first phase of Everest climb

Hari Budha Magar (left) and Krish Thapa, his expedition leader, spent time in camp two before returning to base camp

A British Army veteran who lost both his legs in Afghanistan has completed the first phase of his attempt to climb Mount Everest.

Hari Budha Magar, a former soldier in the Gurkha regiment, is aiming to be the first double above-the-knee amputee to scale the world's highest peak.

The 43-year-old climbed to camp two, before returning to base camp.

The team will recover before heading back up to camp two to make the push for the summit.

Hari, who lives in Kent, said: "The record for a double amputee (below knee in this case) from base camp to camp one was 16 hours, so we beat that and I'm happy with that.

"This is the first time ever a double amputee above the knee has gone through Khumbu ice fall coming up to camp two, so this is also hugely significant for me, and just an amazing experience."

Hari crossed the treacherous Khumbu Icefall on his way to camp one

In a video sent from camp two, Hari said: "It's very windy here, it has been since yesterday at camp one. The route hasn't been opened so we are going to stay a couple of nights here and see what's going to happen."

Weather conditions worsened with strong winds, so the team made the decision to return down the mountain and make the climb to the summit when the weather improves.

Ryan Bowd, Hari's expedition director, said: "It was great to see Hari and Krish get out onto the mountain, complete the climb to over 6400m and see a good chunk of the route that will take them to the summit. "

Hari lost his legs when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan in 2010.

He is attempting to raise 100 times the height of Mount Everest (£884,900) for five charities that helped him on the road to recovery.

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