Varga was accompanied by the sponsor of the Kalifa Himalaya Expedition, Sarhan Omar, the owner of the Kalifa brand. Omar will travel with Varga to base camp. At 8,586 metres, Kangchenjunga will be the highest mountain Varga has ever climbed.

An important part of the expedition will be honouring the memory of Zsolt Erőss and Péter Kiss, two Hungarian climbers who perished after summiting Kangchenjunga in 2013, with a plaque placed at base camp.

“Zsolt Erőss was an authentic and successful mountain climber, an example to follow,” Varga said. “The most important lesson of their expedition is that one has to know when to turn back, and if I feel that I won’t make it to the top and still be able to return, then I’ll just have to leave it for another attempt later on,” he added.

Varga will make the ascent without the use of supplemental oxygen or porters. He will also try to leave the smallest ecological footprint possible, using solar power and returning all refuse he generates.

MTI Photo: Szigetváry Zsolt