Atanas Skatov Explained

Atanas Skatov
Birth Date:11 March 1978
Birth Place:Sliven, Bulgaria
Death Place:K2, Pakistan
Years Active:2012–2021
Children:1

Atanas Georgiev Skatov (; 11 March 1978 – 5 February 2021) was a Bulgarian mountaineer, vegan and agronomist in plant protection.

Biography

Born in Sliven, Bulgaria, Skatov graduated in 2001 from the Agricultural University of Plovdiv and held a master's degree in plant protection. In February 2005, he received a doctoral degree in Agricultural Science. Skatov has since published scientific articles in Bulgaria and abroad.[1] [2]

Skatov became a vegan in January 2012. He claimed that he had never been on a mountain until 2010 and had not been an active sports person before 2012.[3] However, he made history by becoming the first known person on a vegan diet to successfully climb the highest summits on six continents in less than two years, including four eight – thousanders in a week apiece. Additionally, he holds the distinction of being the first Bulgarian climber to participate in four expeditions to climb multiple eight-thousanders in a single season.

In 2015, Skatov was awarded an “Honorary Citizen” of Sliven, Bulgaria.[4] In the same year, he also published his first book[5] and released his first documentary movie.[6] In 2019, Skatov was awarded the 2019 Green Person of Bulgaria.[7] At this time, he was attempting to become the first known vegan to climb the 14 highest peaks on Earth, and had reportedly summitted 10 of them.[8]

Skatov died on 5 February 2021, aged 42, while descending from Camp 3 at K2 after an unsuccessful ascent.[9]

Mountaineering career

Skatov was self-educated in the subject of climbing and mountaineering. He did not conduct preliminary research on a given peak prior to the expedition, in order to feel the spirit of the pioneers who hadn't known what to expect while climbing. In May 2014, he claimed to have become the first known vegan to ascend Everest.[10] [11] His attempt was later refuted, as he admitted to having consumed honey.[12]

Skatov is the first Bulgarian who climbed Mount Everest from the north and south ridges, and in June 2017 he ascended Mount Denali in Alaska and became the first Bulgarian and the world's first vegan to successfully climb the Seven Summits.[13]

A list of Skatov's expeditions and results are below:

YearSummitAltitudeMountainCountryResults
2013Uhuru5895 mKilimanjaroTanzania[14]
2013Elbrus5642 mCaucasusRussia
2013Mont Blanc4805 mAlpsEurope[15]
2013Aconcagua6961 mAndesArgentinaReached 6,600m [16]
2014Aconcagua6961 mAndesArgentina Three-day expedition.
2014Everest8848 mHimalayasChina Ascent via the north route.
2014Carstensz Pyramid4884 mMaokeIndonesia
2014Vinson Massif4892 mEllsworthAntarctica
2015Manaslu8163 mHimalayasNepal[17]
2016Annapurna I8091 mHimalayasNepal
2016Makalu8463 mHimalayasNepal Four-day expedition.
2016Gasherbrum II8035 mKarakoramPakistan[18] Reached 6,350m
2017Lhotse8516 mHimalayasNepal
2017Everest8848 mHimalayasNepal Ascent via the south route.
2017Denali6190 mDenaliUSASeven Summits completed
2018Nanga Parbat8126 mHimalayasPakistan[19] Without Sherpa and without oxygen
2019Kangchenjunga8586 mHimalayasNepal
2019Gasherbrum I8080 mKarakoramPakistan Without Sherpa
2019Gasherbrum II8035 mKarakoramPakistan Without Sherpa
2019Dhaulagiri8167 mHimalayasNepal[20] Fourth eight-thousander in 140 days

Notes and References

  1. Book: Dimitrov, Atanas Georgiev . Integrierte Produktion von Tomaten (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) im Gewächshaus unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der integrierten Bekämpfung der Weissen Fliege (Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood) . 2005 . Tenea Verlag Ltd. . 978-3-86504-116-6 . de.
  2. Böhme . Michael H. . Dimitrov-Skatov . Atanas G. . 2018-12-20 . Investigations to biological and organic treatments against pests in vegetable cultivation . IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science . 215 . 012012 . 10.1088/1755-1315/215/1/012012 . 1755-1315 . free.
  3. News: Д-р Скатов по скатовете - Списание Осем . Списание Осем . 2017-02-13.
  4. Web site: Прес . Сливен . ПЕТИМА ПОЧЕТНИ ГРАЖДАНИ НА СЛИВЕН . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170214103617/http://slivenpress.bg/novini-sliven/16481-%D0%9F%D0%95%D0%A2%D0%98%D0%9C%D0%90-%D0%9F%D0%9E%D0%A7%D0%95%D0%A2%D0%9D%D0%98-%D0%93%D0%A0%D0%90%D0%96%D0%94%D0%90%D0%9D%D0%98-%D0%9D%D0%90-%D0%A1%D0%9B%D0%98%D0%92%D0%95%D0%9D . 2017-02-14 . 2017-02-13 . slivenpress.bg . bg-bg.
  5. Book: Богинята Майка на Вселената. Дневникът на един веган. Кибеа. 2015. 978-954-474-714-5. София.
  6. Web site: The SKATOV experiment. Vimeo. 2017-02-13.
  7. Web site: TEDxVitosha TED . 2020-10-27 . www.ted.com.
  8. Web site: Bulgarian Atanas Skatov Successfully Climbed his 10th Eight-Thousander - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency . 2019-10-05 . www.novinite.com.
  9. Web site: 5 February 2021 . Bulgarian alpinist Skatov dies during K2 expedition . 6 February 2021 . The Nation.
  10. Web site: Mendis . Dishan . 2018-08-16 . The Story of Atanas Skatov–First Vegan to Climb Mount Everest . 2020-10-27 . Vegan Universal . en-US.
  11. Web site: March 2016 . Meet The First Vegan Ever To Climb Mount Everest (And Conquer The 6 Highest Continental Summits In Record Time) - . 2017-02-13 . inourishgently.com . en-US.
  12. Web site: The first vegan to summit Everest . 2021-02-13 . The Vegan Society . en.
  13. Web site: Bulgarian Atanas Skatov Climbed the Highest Mounts on Each of the 7 Continents . 2019-10-06 . BNT News . en.
  14. Web site: Атанас Скатов покори най-високите върхове на всички континенти . 2019-10-05 . bTV Новините.
  15. Web site: Да покориш Еверест - Атанас Скатов на върха . 2019-10-05 . БНТ . bg.
  16. Web site: Атанас Скатов покори и Андите - Сливен . 2019-10-05 . dariknews.bg . bg.
  17. Web site: Atanas Skatov Climbed his Ninth Eight-Thousander and Is Looking Forward to the "Crown of the Himalaya" - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency . 2019-10-05 . www.novinite.com.
  18. Web site: Лошо време и лавини попречиха на Атанас Скатов да изкачи връх Гашербрум 2 . 2019-10-05 . www.actualno.com . bg.
  19. Web site: Bulgarian Atanas Skatov summited Cho Oyu without oxygen or Sherpa help . 2019-12-28 . www.dreamwanderlust.com.
  20. Web site: 3 October 2019 . Atanas Skatov and Sergi Mingote summitted Dhaulagiri . 2019-12-28 . www.explorersweb.com.