An Instagram Star Did a Backflip on the Top of Mount Everest

Over the years, climbers have transformed the summit of Mount Everest into a concert venue, a nudist colony, and even a frisbee launchpad. But prior to this week, nobody to our knowledge had used the world’s highest point as a trampoline.

That changed when an American climber named Devon Levesque executed a backflip on the summit on Tuesday, May 21. Levesque, an Instagram creator with 1 million followers and self-described “serial entrepreneur and philanthropist,” somehow completed the feat while wearing a puffy summit suit and crampons. Like all thrilling feats in 2024, this one was caught on video and uploaded to the Internet, where it was quickly disseminated until even your Great Aunt Martha saw it.

The video was published on Instagram late on Thursday, May 24. By Friday morning it had generated nearly 800 comments and 66,000 likes. The video is accompanied by Steve Miller’s 1976 hit “Fly Like an Eagle,” because of course it is.

In a separate Instagram post, Levesque said that his expedition to the top of the world had plenty of twists, turns, and drama. He said he witnessed death and acts of lifesaving on the mountain. “Grateful to live another day,” he wrote.

Over the years, the Nepali government has attempted to curb high-altitude stunts on the peak by asking climbers to respect the mountain and also by denying summit certificates to those whose actions are deemed unacceptable. In 2023 the Nepali government denied certificates to Mexican climber Juan Diego Martinez Alvarez, who played an electric piano atop the peak, and also to Russian climber Katya Lipka for unfurling a flag of Ukraine and a “Free Navalny” banner on the pinnacle to protest the 2022 Russian invasion.

The flag protest prompted a flurry of statements in the Nepali parliament. “Sagarmatha (Everest) is our identity and pride. A flag was hoisted against Russia from there. Is this government making Sagarmatha a geopolitical battleground?,” said parliamentarian Pradeep Kumar Gyawali in June, 2023.

Levesque’s stunt, however, may skirt some of the rules that govern the peak. To curb behavior on Mount Everest deemed “disrespectful,” Nepali officials ask climbers to ask permission from tourism department officials before taking any items to the top, including flags, banners, and signs. But Everest Chronicle reports that the rules of conduct also require climbers to inform tourism officials about any activities they intend to do atop the peak as well.

Outside sent the video clip to Bili Bierling, the director of the Himalayan Database, the website that chronicles summit attempts on the world’s highest peaks. She wrote that it was “hard to keep perspective” after watching the clip.

“I want to encourage people to stop bashing Everest, but now I may change my tune,” she replied. “I thought that my woman with the longest hair to summit was the tip of the iceberg, but the highest backflip?!”

In his video, Levesque claims that his is the first backflip to ever be completed on Mount Everest. Outside cannot verify this claim. But we are waiting to see if someone will attempt it in true Alpine style.

Ben Ayers contributed to this report.