BOULDER, CO — A Boulder attorney died Monday shortly after reaching the peak of Mount Everest. Tourism officials in Nepal said Christopher John Kulish, 62, died while he was descending the mountain, Reuters reported. The mountain has claimed 11 lives this spring season.
Nepalese officials said Kulish died suddenly at South Col, an area between Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse where the final camp for climbers is set up, according to the Reuters report.
Several of Kulish’s friends and former colleagues posted heartfelt messages on social media about the climber’s passion for Mount Everest, and his dream of reaching the summit of the famous mountain.
His friends said he was an experienced climber who earned the coveted title of “Seven Summiteer” — someone who has climbed the highest mountain on every continent.
“My heart goes out to the Kulish family as they grieve the loss of their son and brother,” Congressman Joe Neguse posted on Facebook. “Chris saw his last sunrise from the peak of Mount Everest this weekend after summiting the highest peak on every continent. His memory and courage will be cherished.”
The climber’s cause of death has not been confirmed, but an inital assessment indicates he died of cardiac arrest, according to a report by The Denver Post.
Recent photos have been circulating that show lines of climbers in a bottleneck near Mount Everest’s summit. Many climbers reported waiting more than two hours in the lines, according to multiple reports.
About 5,000 people have reached the Everest summit so far, and several hundred have died trying.