“TRAILBLAZERS”
In the last few years, mountaineers are expected to reach the “true summit” of every mountain, which many climbers of the previous generation had missed.
Sherpa is no stranger to the mountains, hailing from a family of record-holding climbers, who also now run Nepal’s largest mountaineering expedition company.
Raised in bustling Kathmandu, Sherpa initially preferred to play football or shoot videos.
But two years ago, he put his camera down to pursue mountaineering.
Sherpa, who already holds multiple records from his ascents of dozens of peaks, started high-altitude climbing at the age of 16, by climbing Mount Manaslu in August 2022.
Nepali climbers – usually ethnic Sherpas from the valleys around Everest – are considered the backbone of the climbing industry in the Himalayas.
They carry the majority of equipment and food, fixing ropes and repairing ladders.
Long in the shadows as supporters of foreign climbers, they are slowly being recognised in their own right.
“I want to show the younger generation of Sherpas that they can rise above the stereotype of being only support climbers and embrace their potential as top-tier athletes, adventurers, and creators,” he said in a statement soon after his final summit.
“We are not just guides. We are trailblazers.”
In recent years, climbers like Sherpa have set record after record, and are hopeful their feats will inspire the next generation of Nepali mountaineers.
The record was previously held by another Nepali climber, Mingma Gyabu “David” Sherpa. He achieved it in 2019, at the age of 30.
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