Two Malagasy brothers make history: A testament to family, resilience, and African ambition

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Jun 16, 2026, 02:06 ET

They faced everything Everest could throw at them: bone-deep cold, unstable ice in the notorious Khumbu Icefall, and the shadow of tragedy that hung over this season's expeditions, during which several climbers lost their lives

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Raj-Alexandre and Raïs Bouka reached the summit at 7 AM on the 23rd of May. The two Malagasy brothers stood together at 8,848.86 metres on the summit of Mount Everest, the first Malagasy ever to do so, and raised their country's flag high against the Himalayan wind. Their achievement is a landmark for Madagascar and for Africa, forged over years of preparation, two Everest expeditions, and one year of patience.

Raj-Alexandre also shattered continental age records to become became the youngest African male to summit Everest and the youngest African ever to summit Everest-Lhotse back-to-back in the same season. A feat only d achieved one by a few hundred people worldwide.

The summit is never guaranteed. In 2025, the Bouka brothers came agonisingly close, turning back just 250 metres from the summit, defeated by frostbite and deteriorating conditions, and a lack of sufficient oxygen to reach the top. That failure became fuel.

This year, led again by their father, visionary entrepreneur and mountaineer Zouzar Bouka, they came back with one goal: to finish what they started.

Every year, many people die on Everest. There have been at least 350 recorded deaths since the 1950s, on a mountain that is climbed during a season lasting just one month. The Bouka family trained, planned, and climbed with this knowledge. Before they set off on their summit push, five individuals had already died in the preceding two weeks. Then, just before reaching the summit, they encountered two more deceased climbers; one who had died less than 24 hours earlier, and another whose body had remained there for more than a decade.

"It was scary, very scary. You're on the Hilary ridge, and it's steep and dangerous. You must always be on high alert and stay clipped in. You just have to ignore it best as you can, but their head and hair and ears and everything else is visible, even the person who was there for many years." Rais Bouka

Zouzar did not reach the summit but climbed higher than he did in 2025, reaching Camp 3 (approximately 7,200 metres) before making the decision to turn back for health and safety reasons. While reaching Camp 4 was considered possible, a decision had to be made because, had he required assistance at that altitude, the entire Sherpa team, including those supporting his sons, would have been needed to carry out a rescue. At such extreme elevations, rescue operations require multiple people, and helicopter evacuations are not possible.

Zouzar's leadership anchored the expedition from start to finish." I am immensely proud of my sons," said Zouzar Bouka. "Their courage and perseverance have carried our flag higher than ever before. Everest demands humility and perseverance — last year taught us that. This year, we returned united as a family, carrying our love for Madagascar with us every step of the way. Meritocracy, meritocracy, meritocracy!"

From Base Camp, Raïs Bouka said: "To stand with my brother on the summit was a dream I'm happy we fulfilled, and it's an honour to bring the Malagasy flag to the top. I'm very grateful to my Dad; the whole thing was his idea. My brother and I did not believe this was possible, and we were more concerned with our other priorities. He convinced us and knew that it was possible for us, and he was right. This taught me a valuable lesson about how meaningless it is to fear failure." I did not want to publicise our journey or have it documented on social media for fear of failure."

Raj-Alexandre Bouka added, "Everest demands everything from you. Every step tested our limits, but we climbed as brothers and as Malagasy. We hope our journey proves that with resilience and heart, the impossible can become possible."

The Bouka family's mountaineering journey began in 2021 on Pic Boby, Madagascar's highest accessible peak. Since then, they have climbed on all seven continents, each summit building the experience, fitness, and mental resilience that Everest required.

Their achievement is more than a sporting record. It is a message to Madagascar, to Africa, and to anyone who has been told their dream is out of reach: bold goals are worth pursuing, no matter the altitude.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Vision Madagascar NGO.

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