Michael Groom (climber)

Michael Groom (born 1959) is an Australian^[1] mountain climber.^[2] In 1995, Groom became the fourth ever person to summit the four highest mountains in the world (Lhotse, Kangchenjunga, K2 and Everest) without the aid of bottled oxygen. He proceeded to climb the fifth highest, Makalu, in 1999. In 1987 he lost the front third of his feet to frostbite descending from his successful summit of Kangchenjunga.^[3] Despite this he later managed to summit Mount Everest in 1993 and again in 1996, when he acted as a guide for Adventure Consultants during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.^[4] In the 2015 film Everest, Groom was portrayed by actor Tom Wright.

Notable Ascents

Everest

On his third attempt at summiting the tallest mountain in the world in 1993, Groom finally completed Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. He attempted twice in 1991, the second time ending in a 900m fall down the Lhotse Face in an avalanche; he received only a broken nose and a few cracked ribs and was lucky to have survived the ordeal.

K2

In 1994, Groom unknowingly turned around just 40m shy of the summit of K2 after taking the more difficult and technically demanding SSE Spur route. He returned weeks later and successfully summited the mountain via the easier Abruzzi ridge with Veikka Gustafsson.

Kangchenjunga

In 1987 Groom summited Kanchenjunga (the world's third highest mountain at 8598m) but on descending developed frostbite in the toes of both feet, later resulting in partial amputation of both feet.

Makalu

In 1999 he climbed Makalu (8463m), the world's fifth highest mountain.

Bibliography

• Sheer Will- The Inspiring Life and Climbs of Michael Groom. An Autobiography 1997 Random House Australia ISBN 0-09-183623-9

See also

• List of people with surname Groom
• List of Mount Everest summiters by number of times to the summit
• List of Mount Everest guides

References

External links

• Michael Groom - The Official Website