# Boyan Petrov

Boyan Petrov (Bulgarian: Боян Петров, born 7 February 1973 – disappeared 5 May 2018) was a Bulgarian zoologist and mountaineer, who worked at the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia.
At the time of his disappearance he had climbed 10 of the 14 eight-thousanders, all without supplemental oxygen and no help from Sherpas. He was the first Bulgarian to climb four of those mountains: Gasherbrum I (2009), Kangchenjunga (2014), K2 (2014) and Manaslu (2015). He climbed them despite insulin-dependent diabetes, proving that physical activity does not interfere, but helps to control diabetes. As of 2024, Boyan Petrov and Atanas Skatov are the Bulgarian climbers with the highest number of successful ascents of 8000 meter peaks but Skatov was climbing with commercial expeditions and almost always with supplementary oxygen.

## Achievements

On 20 May 2014 he became the first Bulgarian to climb the third highest peak on Earth Kangchenjunga (8586m), as well as the first diabetic to ascend to such an altitude and without oxygen. On 23 July he climbed Broad Peak (8047m). On 31 July 2014 he became the first Bulgarian to climb the second highest peak on the planet K2 (8611m), which also made him the 35th person to climb three eight-thousanders in less than 100 days. His double climb – on Broad Peak and K2 – in 8 days, is also a world record. For these remarkable successes the Bulgarian climber was greeted with a video message by mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner. His documentary film about his climbs "3x8000" was broadcast on Bulgarian National Television in December 2014. He reached the summit of Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m) on 29 September 2017 at 01:00 pm without the help of supplementary oxygen.
Boyan Petrov was a cancer survivor and a diabetic. In 2008 he fell while climbing in the Alps and broke his leg. During the descent of Gasherbrum II in 2009 he fell in a glacial crevasse and was saved by a group of Spanish climbers. In 2013 Petrov suffered another leg fracture due to a car accident. Despite his injuries, in the following year he achieved a hat-trick by successfully climbing Kangchenjunga, Broad Peak, and K2 with internal fixators in this leg. After the descent of K2, he suffered a serious hypoglycemic crisis while in base camp, lost consciousness and was able to recover with the help of Polish climbers.

## Disappearance

Petrov was declared missing while climbing Shishapangma. On 5 May 2018 his tent and sleeping bag were found in the area of Camp-3 of the mountain, which is around 7,300 metres altitude. Due to Bulgarian diplomatic efforts, for the first time in 20 years, a Nepalese rescue helicopter was allowed to fly above China. No other signs of him were found either around Camp-3 or on the Shishapangma. The search for him was discontinued on 16 May. According to other climbers, he may have fallen into a crevasse on the way to the top.

## Ascents of peaks over 6000 meters

| Year | Peak | Height | Mountain | State | Notes |
| 2001 | Broad Peak | 8047 m | Karakoram | Pakistan | Altitude reached 7300 m |
| 2003 | Lenin Peak | 7134 m | Pamir | Kyrgyzstan | |
| 2004 | Aconcagua | 6962 m | Andes | Argentina | |
| 2004 | Denali | 6195 m | American Cordillera | USA | |
| 2005 | K2 | 8611 m | Karakoram | Pakistan | Altitude reached 8200 m |
| 2007 | Khan Tengri | 6995 m | Tian Shan | Kazakhstan | |
| 2009 | Gasherbrum I | 8080 m | Karakoram | Pakistan | First Bulgarian ascent. Without oxygen |
| 2009 | Gasherbrum II | 8035 m | Karakoram | Pakistan | Altitude reached 8030 m |
| 2010 | Peak Korzhenevskaya | 7105 m | Pamir | Tajikistan | |
| 2010 | Ismoil Somoni Peak | 7495 m | Pamir | Tajikistan | |
| 2014 | Kangchenjunga | 8586 m | Himalayas | Nepal | First Bulgarian ascent. Without oxygen |
| 2014 | Broad Peak | 8047 m | Karakoram | Pakistan | Without oxygen |
| 2014 | K2 | 8611 m | Karakoram | Pakistan | First Bulgarian ascent. Without oxygen |
| 2015 | Manaslu | 8163 m | Himalayas | Nepal | First Bulgarian ascent. Without oxygen |
| 2016 | Annapurna I | 8091 m | Himalayas | Nepal | Without oxygen |
| 2016 | Makalu | 8485 m | Himalayas | Nepal | Without oxygen |
| 2016 | Nanga Parbat | 8126 m | Himalayas | Pakistan | Without oxygen |
| 2017 | Gasherbrum II | 8035 m | Karakoram | Pakistan | Without oxygen |
| 2017 | Dhaulagiri | 8167 m | Himalayas | Nepal | Without oxygen |
| 2018 | Shishapangma | 8027 m | Himalayas | China | Reached Camp 3 at 7,500 m before disappearing |
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