Woman Plans To Climb Mt. Everest On A Motorcycle

Kathmandu, Nepal - (MCNW)

A Swedish woman hopes to climb Mount Everest on a motorcycle in an effort to beat the unofficial world record for the highest altitude on a motorcycle, reported the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter. The "unofficial" altitude record for a motorcycle was set by a Japanese rider. This year is the 50th anniversary of Edmund Hillary's and Tenzing Norgay's ascent of the 8850 meters (29,035 feet) high Mount Everest summit.
The current record is 5250 meters (17,224 feet) above sea level, according to Swedish biker Annie Seel. Seel is a competitive Enduro motorcycle racer and she’ll be making the round trip from Kathmandu as member of a Danish/Swedish team.

Seel is now preparing to ride her motorcycle to Mount Everest’s base camp (and possibly higher) on the North Side this summer. "Up to base camp at 5100 meters (16,732 feet) there is a rocky path. If a yak can make it up there then a motorcycle should be able to as well. But then there's about another 492 feet of glacier. That could be difficult," Seel said.

Seel captured the attention of motorcycle race enthusiasts last year when she completed the tough Paris-Dakar rally on her motorcycle despite racing with a broken hand.

"The more crazy things like this you do, the more you want to do," she said, adding, "If you never get to fulfill your dreams you will be unhappy."
On the North Side of Everest trucks are used to get expeditions and their gear to base camp on the Rongbuk glacier, whereas on the South, teams have to make the trek from the airport in Lukla to Base Camp. Nepal doesn’t allow motorized vehicles or even bicycles in the Sagarmatha national park.
Seel's adventure is scheduled to start on August 6.

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