Carlos Soria Fontan, 84, planned to become the oldest mountaineer to climb the 14 highest peaks in the world, culminating above 8,000 meters, after having already conquered 12.
His thirteen previous attempts to reach the 13th, the Dhaulagiri at 8,167 meters above sea level, have all failed, the last having ended this week less than 700 meters from the summit.
"He was injured in the leg in an accident above 7,500 meters," Thaneshwor Guragain of Seven Summit Treks, organizer of his expedition, told AFP.
"He was brought down to Camp 2 yesterday (Wednesday) and will be airlifted to Kathmandu today (Thursday)," he said.
On Wednesday, a message posted on his Facebook page said he had broken his leg in an accident caused by one of the Nepalese guides falling from his rope.
Another message, published on Thursday, confirmed that the octogenarian was back in the Nepalese capital for treatment and added: "A big thank you to all of you for your support".
It was not clear whether the old mountaineer planned to mount a fifteenth expedition.
Mr. Fontan had climbed his first "eight thousand", Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, shortly after his 50th birthday. At 72, he had climbed 10 of the 14. At 77, he had twelve to his credit.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's ten highest peaks, including Everest, which rises to 8,849 meters above sea level and hosts hundreds of climbers each spring, when temperatures are milder and winds generally weaker.
The Nepalese authorities have issued more than a thousand climbing permits, including 37 for the Dhaulagiri.
© 2023 AFP