Tuesday 31 / December / 2024
Kathmandu: Cheering crowds gathered at Kathmandu Airport on Monday to welcome home mountaineer Nima Rinji Sherpa. The 18-year-old has become the youngest person in history to reach the top of all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre (26,000-foot) mountains.
On October 9 he reached the top of Mount Shishapangma in Tibet, thus completing what is considered the great feat of mountaineering.
"Thank you so much everyone," he told his supporters in Kathmandu on Monday.
Ahead of his return from China, he wrote on his official Instagram account that his achievement was a "tribute to every Sherpa who has ever dared to dream beyond the traditional boundaries set for them."
"Mountaineering is more than labour; it is a testament to our strength, resilience, and passion," he added.
Feat seldom achieved by seasoned climbers
Nima Rinji Sherpa comes from a family deeply rooted in the Sherpa mountaineering community and his father and uncles run a popular trekking company. Despite this, he only started high-altitude climbing two years ago at the age of 16.
All of the so-called "eight-thousanders" are in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges, crossing Nepal, Pakistan, China and India. To reach the peaks, mountaineers must cross what is known as the "death zone" for its unpredictable weather and lack of oxygen.
Since Italian Reinhold Messner became the first to summit all 14 peaks in 1986, only 50 climbers have managed the same feat.
Speaking to ANI, Nima Rinji Sherpa said, "I am very happy upon returning back to Nepal," Nima Rinji briefly told ANI as he was welcomed back to Kathmandu."
When asked about his future plans, he responded, "I will get into the tourism industry in my future."
Nima Rinji Sherpa, at the remarkable age of 18 years and 5 months, made history by becoming the youngest person to summit all 14 of the world's highest peaks over 8000m on October 9. He was accompanied by his climbing partners Pasang Nurbu Sherpa, whom also completed the 14x8000ers.
The teenage climber was waiting for permits from the Chinese side which came in September, opening his way for the record-setting attempt. Nima Rinji started off for his record setting summit attempt from September 2022 by climbing 8,163 meters Mount Manaslu. He completed his forte to climb all the 14 peaks in two years and ten days, according to the expedition organiser.
As per the record from the Department of Tourism, Nima Rinji ascended Mount Manaslu (8163m) on September 30, 2022, Mt. Everest (8848.86m) on May 24, 2023, Mt. Lhotse (8516m) on May 24, 2023, Mt. Nanga Parbat (8126m) on June 26, 2023, Mt. Gasherbrum I (8068m) on July 18, 2023, Mt. Gasherbrum Il (8035m) on July 19, 2023 and Mt. Broad Peak (8047m) on July 23, 2023.
He successfully scaled, Mt. K2 (8611m) on July 27, 2023, Mt. Cho-Oyu (8188m) on October 6, 2023, Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m) on September 29, 2023, Mt. Annapurna (8091m).
Without Oxygen on April 12, 2024, Mt. Makalu (8485m) on May 4, 2024, Mt. Kanchenjunga (8586m) on June 8, 2024 and Mt. Shishapangma (8027m) - October 9, 2024.
Another record-setting female climber, Dawa Yangzum last week successfully climbed all the 14 of the world's peaks towering over 8,000 meters. Her last triumph was the Tibet's Shishanpangma which she was able to summit last week, completing her extraordinary journey and setting out a record in mountaineering history.
"I am feeling thrilled, all the hardships and struggles indeed paid off. This success has made me forget all the hardships," Dawa Yangzum told ANI briefly upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
Dawa, also the first female Asian mountain guide certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides (IFMGA) set her sights on all 14 of the world's highest mountains. She stood atop the summit of Shishapangma on October 9 at 5:30 am (Nepal time).
Dawa is involved in advocating for women in the mountaineering field, which is predominantly male-dominated, and in raising awareness about the impact of climate change on Nepal's fragile ecosystems. Through her affiliations with renowned global brands like The North Face and Rolex, Dawa has used her platform to amplify these causes.
As the first Nepali woman to conquer all 14 of the world's highest peaks, she has paved the way for future generations of climbers, proving that the sky is, indeed, the limit. The only other woman to achieve this feat was Spain's Edurne Pasaban, who became the first woman in the world to climb all 14 peaks 14 years ago in 2010. Dawa has now joined that elite club, making not just her country, but women around the world, proud.
