18-Year-Old Henry Horvath Conquers Ama Dablam, the ‘Matterhorn of the Himalayas’, Following in His Father’s Legendary Footsteps

Cooperstown teen Henry Horvath created history recently after he scaled Ama Dablam’s peak of the Himalayas. The 18-year-old completed his expedition successfully on November 17, 2023. Horvath’s achievement added him to the elite list of the youngest Americans to make the climb. There are not many climbers who would take up such an adventurous challenge. This is solemnly due to the rugged nature of the Ama Dablam terrain. While speaking about the perils, Horvath stated that it requires immense technical skills to make a successful climb to Ama Dablam. 

As the young climber made his way to glory, his grit and determination made him an inspiration for others. With that being said, let us now take a closer look at Henry Horvath’s remarkable expedition. 

Henry Horvath’s quest to hiking glory

While reflecting on his quest to Ama Dablam, Horvath stated that he had his eyes set on the peak right from the very first day he saw it. The teenager further explained that the peak could be spotted from Mt Everest and the name translates to ‘Matterhorn of the Himalayas.’ Thus, when the opportunity knocked at Horvath’s door in the form of an academic gap between the Middlesex School and Harvard University, he grabbed it with both hands. 

The teenager immediately started his preparation for the strenuous climb. Horvath arrived at the Tenzing-Hilary airport in Nepal, which is located at an altitude of 9000 feet and is considered one of the most perilous destinations in the world. To get accustomed to the extreme cold temperatures, Horvath and his team trekked intensively across three passes. They spent more than a month perfecting their steps before beginning their much-awaited climb. 

While approaching their climb, the team took a unique approach that Horvath shared, “A lot of people will land in the area and then go straight for the peak, just doing laps up and down the mountain to acclimatize. We thought it would be much more interesting to trek around and see more of the range.” 

Henry and his team also encountered a climber who was ill and helped him recover with proper care and attention. However, this was not the only time Henry Horvath went out on a thrilling expedition. 

Henry’s earlier adventures with his father 

Henry’s father has always been an idol and guiding figure for Henry. He has always been a follower whenever his father stepped out for any outdoor adventure for most of his life. While Henry was a little boy of just 3, he embarked on his first Adirondack trip with his father. That was the time when he started taking training in rock climbing and ice climbing.

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The father-son duo attempted climbing the highest peak of not only South America but the whole of Western and Southern Hemisphere, Aconcagua, while Henry was a boy of 13. Although Henry did not reach the summit, he climbed more than 20,000 feet at that young age. Henry was also the youngest person to climb Denali, the highest peak in North America in the year 2021. 

Although they had enough achievements in their bag, they did not stop aspiring to scale greater heights. 

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