Gheorghe Dijmărescu
Gheorghe Dijmărescu (commonly known as George Dijmarescu, born 1962 – September 2020)[1] was a Romanian-American known for escaping from the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu by swimming across the Danube River. He was also on mountaineering expeditions, and summited Mount Everest multiple times in the early 2000s.[1]
He was married to Lhakpa Sherpa until their separation due to Dijmărescu's abusive behavior.[2]
Biography
[edit]Dijmărescu has been noted for reaching the summit of Mount Everest nine times. This record was eventually overtaken by the American Dave Hahn in 2008.[3][4][5][6][7][8] In 2004, Dijmărescu and fellow climber David Watson organized the rescue of a Mexican climber who had trouble descending,[1] which Watson later noted as an example of what should have been done for David Sharp, who died high on Everest in 2006.[9]
Dijmărescu married Lhakpa Sherpa in 2002, the first Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest and survive, who also has the record (as of 2022) for the most summits of Mount Everest by a woman at 10.[1] They met in Kathmandu in the year 2000.[10]
Michael Kodas' book High Crimes details allegations of physical violence and aggressive behavior by Dijmărescu, about a 2004 Connecticut expedition to Mount Everest that Dijmărescu organized.[1][11] In his book, Kodas details Dijmărescu as an angry, short-tempered, and violent man with dictatorial tendencies. Kodas recounts how he witnessed Dijmărescu beat his wife Lhakpa Sherpa causing her to lose consciousness in Everest's Tibetan base camp, and how Dijmărescu threatened him to the point that he feared Dijmărescu would break into their tents at night and assault them. After returning to Connecticut, Kodas installed a security system at his home because he considered his family's safety threatened due to Dijmărescu's continued threats.
Dijmarescu's marriage with Lhakpa Sherpa came apart in 2012 after a violent episode. Dijmarescu beat Lhakpa Sherpa, requiring his wife to seek medical attention. Lhakpa Sherpa was taken to an emergency room. Upon release, Lhakpa Sherpa and her two daughters stayed at a local shelter for eight months.[2]
Danube escape
[edit]Dijmărescu survived a swim across the Danube to leave his native Romania. The swim took over an hour and was timed to avoid guards who had been known to kill those who tried to swim across.[12] He managed to make his way through Yugoslavia and escape to Italy.[12] From there he was granted political asylum in the United States, and eventually settled in New England.[12]
Death
[edit]From 2008, Dijmărescu battled with some health issues. He died of cancer in September 2020 at the age of 58 in USA.[13]
Dijmărescu's Mount Everest summit record
[edit]Dijmărescu summited Mount Everest:
- May 26, 1999.[8]
- May 19, 2000[8]
- May 23, 2001[8]
- May 17, 2002[8]
- May 31, 2003[14]
- May 20, 2004[14][15]
- Jun 2, 2005[14][16]
- May 11, 2006[7]
- May 15, 2007[7]
See also
[edit]- List of 20th-century summiters of Mount Everest
- List of Mount Everest summiters by number of times to the summit
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Schaffer, Grayson (10 May 2016). "The Most Successful Female Everest Climber of All Time Is a Housekeeper in Hartford, Connecticut". Outside Online. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ a b Bhadra Sharma and Adam Skolnick, The Queen of Everest Trains While Working at Whole Foods, The New York Times, January 31, 2023; accessed February 8, 2023.
- ^ "Everest History time line". Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ "Everest Summiters Lakpa Sherpa and George Dijmarescu slide show/video presentation open to the public". Everestnews.com. 18 May 2000. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ "The News Tribune: Glory, death share stage on Everest".
- ^ "Everest Weather Reports for Spring 2007". 10 April 2007.
- ^ a b c "Everest Summiteers Association".
- ^ a b c d e "Everest Summiteers Association".
- ^ Breed, Allen G.; Gurubacharya , Binaj (30 July 2006). "On Top of the World, But Abandoned There Near Everest's Summit, David Sharp's Quest Met a Tragic End". The Washington Post. Associated Press. p. D01.
- ^ "Lapka Profile Everest 2004". Everest News.
- ^ "Mt. Everest 2004: By George Dijmarescu".
- ^ a b c "Everest and Other Enemies".
- ^ "Nine-time Everest summiteer George Dijmarescu is dead". Adventure Mountain. 9 October 2020.
- ^ a b c "Everest Summiteers Association".
- ^ "Himalayan Database Expedition Archives of Elizabeth Hawley". Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "Himalayan Database Expedition Archives of Elizabeth Hawley". Retrieved 13 January 2024.