He’s the Aberdeen teenager who has scaled two of the world’s highest mountains and earned a place in the Guinness World Records.
And Alasdair Mckenzie, a climber and competitive ski racer, is now aiming to reach the summit of more than a dozen 8,000m peaks in the Himalayas – a daunting enterprise which fewer than 40 other people have ever achieved.
The 18-year-old, who has dual British and French citizenship and learned to ski in the Cairngorms with his Scottish father, has ambitions of becoming the youngest person to have climbed all of the “eight thousanders”, the 14 mountains which are more than 8,000m – 26,247ft – above sea level.
And while it is the sort the challenge which would test the mettle and stamina of somebody twice his age, Mr Mckenzie has demonstrated his skills and technique in tackling some of the planet’s highest peaks.
A taste of the high life
The Scot with a penchant for the high life has already climbed two of them, Lhotse and Makalu, a feat which he accomplished in only nine days.
He is currently the youngest person to have ever climbed Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world, and achieved this when he was only 17; an exploit which has earned him a place in the Guinness chronicles.
At the moment, he is preparing for the monumental task of scaling the remaining twelve, with the mission commencing later this year.
This challenge is estimated to take close to a year to complete, but he has launched a fundraising drive to support his efforts and has set his sights on conquering Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world at 8,163m above sea level, without oxygen as the next part of the journey.
Mr Mckenzie has been interested in snow pursuits and high-altitude sports from a young age, having learned to ski at the Lecht Ski Centre, as the prelude to moving to Tignes in France.
However, he has recently turned his full attention to climbing, with aspirations of one day becoming a full-time mountain guide. This challenge will be the first steps towards this objective.
He is expected to begin his ascent of Manaslu on September 1, with the progress on the following mountains to be determined according to seasonal conditions in the region. He will embark on the upward odyssey with a small support team and a single sherpa as a guide.
‘It’s tough, but I’m not tired yet’
Mr Mckenzie said: “I am very excited to be continuing this journey and reaching the summit of all of the 14 mountains would mean the world to me.
“When I climbed Lhotse, I realised that reaching the peak of this mountain wasn’t enough for me and I wasn’t tired yet.
“Becoming the youngest person to climb Lhotse was a special moment and I am now aiming to be the youngest to climb 14 of the world’s highest mountains. I know it will be a lot of hard work, but I am up for the challenge. Being on the mountains has become my life, and I cannot wait to get started.”
With the support of his parents, Laurence and John, Mr Mckenzie is looking for corporate sponsorship to help cover the cost of every gruelling climb, which is estimated to be around £20,000 per peak.
For more information, follow him on Instagram at @alasdair_mckenzie.
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