Atanas Skatov

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

Biography Skatov was born in Sliven, Bulgaria. In 2001, he graduated from the Agricultural University of Plovdiv and held a master's degree in plant protection. He later earned a doctorate from Humboldt University in Berlin and worked as a scientist. Skatov later published scientific articles in Bulgaria and abroad.

In the summer of 2010, Skatov discovered his love of the mountains while hiking a mountain trail at home in Bulgaria. It sparked a drive to begin a more active lifestyle. He claimed that he had never been on a mountain until 2010 and had not been an active sports person before 2012. As he began to develop his physical health, he adopted a vegan lifestyle.

Mountaineering Skatov was self-educated in the subject of climbing and mountaineering, often joining climbing expeditions as an expedition climber. His attempt was later refuted, as he admitted to having consumed honey. Skatov would become 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.

In 2015, Skatov was awarded an "Honorary Citizen" of Sliven, Bulgaria. In the same year, he also published his first book and released his first documentary movie.

In 2017, Skatov ascended Everest from the Nepalese south side.

In 2019, Skatov was awarded the 2019 Green Person of Bulgaria. 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.

Final climb In 2020, Skatov was planning to climb K2 in his attempt to be the first vegan to climb all eight-thousanders. However, climbing expeditions that year were delayed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, Skatov planned a winter ascent despite K2 being one of the world's most challenging and deadly eight-thousanders. The choice of a winter ascent was especially notable as at the time, as the mountain had never been successfully ascended in winter. On 16 January 2021, a Nepalese team made the first successful winter ascent of K2. Roughly three weeks later, Skatov died on 5 February, aged 42, of a fall while descending from Camp 3 after an unsuccessful ascent. Skatov and his sherpa began their descent after spending the night outside as there were not enough tents for the climbers on the mountain. These reports were later refuted. His cause of death was later attributed to overexertion.

His body was recovered by a Pakistani military helicopter crew later that day.

Legacy Upon learning of his death, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov wrote:"The mountain took another of our great climbers. Atanas Skatov was a brave man, a man with a cause. I express my condolences to his family and relatives. May his memory be bright!"

Mountaineering expeditions