Nepalese Sherpa, 18, breaks 14-peak youngest record

Nima Rinji Sherpa, 18, reached the summit of Mount Shishapangma in the Xizang autonomous region, China, on the morning of Oct 9, becoming the youngest person in the world to summit all 14 of the planet's 8,000-meter peaks.

Bikram Karki, Nima's spokesperson said the young climber reached the summit at 6:05 am of local time in Xizang. Mount Shishapangma is 8,027 meters high.

With the feat, Nima has overtaken his uncle, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, for the world record. Mingma Gyabu had held the record for being the youngest to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters, which he achieved in 2019 at the age of 30.

"Congratulations, Nima! Your journey continues to inspire us all," his father, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, managing director of Seven Summit Treks, Nepal's largest expedition company, wrote in an online post.

Nima's father holds the record for climbing Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, without bottled oxygen at the age of 19, becoming the youngest climber to scale the world's highest peak.

Nima started climbing at 16 and debuted on Sept 30, 2022, with Mount Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world at 8,163 meters.

Over two years, he has broken multiple world records and become the youngest to summit several major mountains. In 2023, at the age of 17, he climbed nine peaks above 8,000 meters in a single year.

His conquest of Mount Shishapangma marks the completion of an "extraordinary journey", Karki said.

Nima's historic accomplishment is part of his larger vision for the "SherpaPower" initiative, which aims to reshape the global perception of Sherpas.

"Sherpas are not just mountain guides but elite athletes and adventurers capable of creating unique paths on the world stage," he said.

"Today, as I stand atop my 14th 8,000-meter peak, I dedicate this world record to my parents, especially my father, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa and my mother, Leema Sherpa, and my project, #SherpaPower," Nima said in a statement following his feat.

"This summit is not just the culmination of my journey but a tribute to every Sherpa who has dared to dream beyond the traditional boundaries set for us. Mountaineering is more than labor; it is a testament to our strength, resilience, and passion," he said.

"Through #SherpaPower, 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.

"We are not just guides; we are trailblazers. Let this be a call to every Sherpa to see the dignity in our work, the power in our heritage, and the limitless possibilities in our future."

On Oct 16, 1986, Italian Reinhold Messner, at the age of 42, became the first climber to reach the peaks of all 14 eight-thousanders without using supplementary oxygen.

THE KATHMANDU POST, NEPAL