KATHMANDU: Renowned Italian alpinist and helicopter pilot Simone Moro was evacuated from above 5,000 metres in the Mt Everest region after suffering a heart attack on Saturday afternoon.

According to sources, the record-holding climber suffered from heart attack at Khare (5,045m) while returning from an acclimatization climb of Mera Peak (6,476m).

Moro was airlifted from Khare by a Fishtail Helicopter and admitted to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, the sources said.

Moro, along with the world’s youngest 14-peaks summiteer Nima Rinji Sherpa and Polish photographer Oswald Rodrigo Pereira, was in the Mera Peak region for acclimatization ahead of a planned winter ascent of the world’s eighth-highest mountain, Manaslu.

On December 11, Moro and Nima Rinji left High Camp at 7:30 am and reached the summit of Mera Peak at 9:50 am, completing the climb in two hours and 20 minutes. Pereira summited Mera Peak solo a day later, on December 12, completing a single push from Khare in six hours and 15 minutes.

“Once Moro fell ill at Khare, he was immediately evacuated to Kathmandu for treatment,” sources said.

According to hospital officials, Moro underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) at HAMS Hospital. Doctors attending him said his condition is stable.

Sources added that Moro would make a formal announcement regarding his upcoming Manaslu expedition after being discharged from the hospital.

Moro and Nima Rinji had completed the Mera Peak acclimatization climb as part of their plan to attempt Manaslu this winter without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support.

Attempting an 8,000-metre peak in winter is considered among the most demanding achievements in mountaineering. To date, Manaslu has seen only four winter expeditions, with a total of 15 climbers successfully summiting the peak during the winter season. No 8,000-metre peak has yet been climbed in winter in pure alpine style—without oxygen, Sherpa support, fixed ropes, or a luxury base camp—according to Moro.

In January last year, the duo abandoned their Manaslu attempt due to adverse weather conditions that made an alpine-style summit push impossible. Between 2015 and 2025, Moro has attempted a winter summit of Manaslu six times, demonstrating remarkable persistence.

Moro is the only climber in the world to have achieved four winter first ascents on 8,000-metre peaks: Shishapangma (2005), Makalu (2009), Gasherbrum II (2011) and Nanga Parbat (2016).

Manaslu, located in the Himalayas on the border of Nepal and Tibet, stands at 8,163 metres and is part of the Manaslu (Mansiri) Himal range in west-central Nepal.

Born on October 27, 1967, Simone Moro is one of the world’s most accomplished alpinists. He has made first winter ascents of four of the world’s 14 eight-thousanders and has summited Mt Everest four times (2000, 2002, 2006 and 2010). An experienced high-altitude helicopter pilot, Moro has visited Nepal 110 times.