Calgary Man Conquers the Eighth Tallest Peak and Raises Nearly $35,000 for a Noble Cause

Reaching the summit of Nepal’s formidable Mount Manaslu, which stands at close to 8,200 meters above sea level, is no small feat. Jeff Wildeman achieved this remarkable accomplishment on the morning of September 24th, conquering the world’s eighth-tallest mountain. But as with many high-altitude endeavors, the reality was far from the cinematic scenes we often envision.

On that momentous day, no uplifting soundtrack played for Wildeman, and he shares that “you’re not thinking a ton about the accomplishment.” The harsh conditions on the mountain, marked by extreme cold and strong winds, demanded his immediate attention.

Climbing the world’s eighth-highest peak Mount Manaslu

He had to secure his flag and capture some photographs, all while contending with the biting cold and winds that are typical of such high altitudes. Furthermore, it was a predawn climb, at 5:30 in the morning. This is when darkness still held its grip. As a result, he couldn’t linger at the summit, which was exceedingly sharp and precarious, resembling a cornice. To stand on it risked a catastrophic fall, so he settled for a moment where he could touch the summit, an achievement he found “pretty cool.“

What sets Wildeman’s ascent apart is the swiftness of his journey. While many climbers plan for over 30 days for the ascent to acclimatize to the punishing altitude, Wildeman reached the summit in just 14 days. The urgency arose from the impending adverse weather conditions; he explained that two feet of snow were forecasted daily for the foreseeable future. This would pose a severe risk of avalanches at each camp, making it crucial to reach the summit before the weather worsened.

Preparing for this daunting adventure took months of dedicated training. Wildeman spent considerable time in the gym and ascended Banff’s Sulphur Mountain multiple times a day. He even subjected himself to the challenging conditions of an atmospheric tent to prepare his body for the extreme elements.

The tough conditions

However, despite his meticulous preparation, the higher he climbed, the more arduous the journey became. His final days on the mountain pushed him to the limits of endurance. Wildeman recalls going nearly 40 hours without sleep. He endures frigid temperatures as low AS-30 degrees Celsius. He confronts the relentless high-altitude winds that took a toll on his body. The combination of factors left him fighting for breath, with an elevated heart rate, debilitating headaches, and nausea. The conditions are so extreme that even his resting heart rate, which is usually around 38 at home, gets over 100 at the high-altitude camp, above 6,000 meters.

Jeff Wildeman’s climbing partner in this daring adventure was none other than Nimsdai Purja. He is a mountaineer who gained fame through his Netflix documentary, “14 Peaks.” While the two had previously summited the highest mountain outside the Himalayas in Argentina in 2021, Mount Manaslu is now the highest peak that Nimsdai has successfully climbed.

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Wildeman turned his climb into a fundraiser for the Cori Wildeman Brain Health Foundation. It is a charity at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. This foundation holds a special place in the Wildeman family’s heart. Cori Wildeman, Jeff’s late mother, was a speech pathologist who worked at the hospital for over 20 years. To honor her legacy, Jeff raised a substantial sum, totaling $35,000, for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. These funds will support support the hospital’s new Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health School. It curiously bears the name ‘The Summit.’

It gratified Jeff Wildeman to know that the money raised in his mother’s name would contribute to the betterment of the hospital. This will help to prevent and alleviate mental health issues. He expressed his satisfaction with the result and the hope that the funds will go a long way in making a meaningful impact.

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