Fausto De Stefani Passes on Everest Summit for Local School Commitment

He chose not to summit an 8,000-meter peak in order to honor his promise of a meeting with the municipal council of Kirtipur, where the school he promoted himself will be built.

Fausto De Stefani’s Expedition

Fausto De Stefani, the Castel(s)ionese climber and the sixth person in the world to have climbed all 14eight-thousanders, was part of an expedition on Cho Oyu, 8,202 meters, which he first ascended back in 1988.

“Bad weather haunted us,” explains De Stefani. “Strong winds persisted for about twenty days. We reached the final camp three times, but weather conditions prevented us from summiting. Just an additional week would have made the difference.”

Reasons for the Withdrawal

However, De Stefani decided not to proceed to the summit so he could return to the valley and meet with local authorities in the town, ten kilometers south of Kathmandu, where the school for 700 underprivileged children, promoted by the climber himself, the Veronese doctor Fabrizio Zamperioli, and the Castellana foundation ‘Senza Frontiere’, will be built.