Michael Knakkergaard Jørgensen
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Michael Jorgenson | |
|---|---|
Michael Knakkergaard Jørgensen | |
| Born | 5 December 1967 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | 30 April 1999 (aged 31) |
| Cause of death | Fall |
| Resting place | Makalu |
| Known for | First Dane to summit Mount Everest, Lhotse and Makalu |
Michael Knakkergaard Jørgensen (5 December 1967 in Copenhagen; died 30 April 1999 in Nepal) was a Danish mountaineer. In May 1995, he became the first Danish person to climb Mount Everest,[1] via the north side in Tibet.[2] He would then go on to be the first Dane to summit Lhotse (8501 m) and Makalu (8,462 m).[3][4]
From 1990 to 1996, Jørgensen was in the military and deployed as a UN soldier.[3]
In 1999, Jørgensen would make his second trip to Makalu, after the mountain claimed his climbing partner Per Lyhne.[5][6] He arrived prepared for the summit push, leading an expedition of experienced climbers, André Gorge Marchal, who had summited eight eight-thousanders, and Ilgvars Pauls, who had climbed five previously.[7] Despite their experience, weather made climbing conditions difficult on the mountain.[8] On 30 April 1999, Jørgensen became the first Dane to summit Mount Makalu (8,462 m), the world's fifth highest mountain.[9]
On the descent, a rope broke, causing Jørgensen to fall over 500 metres (1,600 ft) to his death.[10] Jørgensen's body later came to rest nearby Makalu's camp 3, where it became a feature for other climbers in their pursuit to the summit.[11]
