KATHMANDU: Chinese climber Zhang Jing made history on Tuesday by successfully paragliding from the summit of Mt Ama Dablam.

According to Sano Babu Sunuwar, Managing Director of Babu Adventure Paragliding Pvt Ltd, Zhang launched from the 6,856-meter (22,493-foot) summit at approximately 1:30 p.m. and safely landed at base camp 30 minutes later.

“This is the first-ever successful paragliding flight from the summit of Ama Dablam using a standard wing,” Sunuwar said. He confirmed that Zhang obtained all necessary permits from government authorities for the flight.

Seven Summit Treks (SST) provided logistics and climbing support. Pasang Phurba Sherpa, a director at SST, stated, “Zhang’s success opens a new avenue for adventure sports on Ama Dablam.”

The 32-year-old climber received official permission from the Department of Tourism, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, and the National Park authority for the tandem flight from above 22,000 ft.

A previous flight was made from the summit in 2009 by a British climber Stuart Holmes using a Gin Glider, which is not a standard paraglider. “Zhang is the first to use a normal paraglider from the Ama Dablam summit,” Sunuwar added. Jing’s climbing guide was Dawa Rinji Sherpa from SST.

SST and Babu Adventure launched a successful mission on Ama Dablam opening a new era for adventure sports enthusiasts, said Pasang Phurba.

Jing is a professional adventurer, known for paragliding, skydiving, and other extreme sports. His ability to merge high-altitude climbing with aerial adventure makes this climb uniquely bold. He also institutionally contributes to this extreme sports as the Beijing National Fitness & Ice and Snow Sports Promotion Ambassador, as the founder of AG Extreme Circle China Extreme Club, as a team member of RedbullX and so on.