KATHMANDU, Nepal (Diya TV) — Nima Rinji Sherpa of Nepal clinched a world record as the youngest climber to reach the summits of all 14 mountains over 8000 m tall in the world. He climbed Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma (8,027 meters) on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.
Nima began his high-altitude career at 16, by submitting Nepal’s Manaslu in 2022. In two years, he’d stand atop every one of the world’s “eight-thousanders,” a list of 14 mountains above 8,000 meters. His final would be a bruising series of climbs through the world’s most unforgiving “death zones,” an anoxic environment hostile to life.
This now stands as the new record, going past the previous one set in 2019 by his uncle, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, who completed the challenge at the age of 30. His father, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, who also set records as a mountaineer, described his son as inspiring, having become the young age record holder for the Sherpa community.
“This summit is not just the culmination of my personal journey but a tribute to every Sherpa who has dared to dream beyond the traditional boundaries set for us,” said Nima in a statement. His record forms part of a larger initiative he dubs “SherpaPower,” which seeks to transfer the world’s view of Sherpas from guides to elite athletes and adventurers.
The Sherpa has served for decades as an important climbing support system for the foreign climbers in the Himalayas. Now, they are going to come under the limelight for their epic endeavors. Nima hopes that through this achievement, he can inspire the future generations of the Sherpas to explore new heights-literally and metaphorically.
Many mountains and various hazards stand in the way of crossing off all 14 eight-thousanders on a list, earning it a place at the top of the mountaineering world’s endurance challenges. Nima’s resolve has made him famous around the world for his achievements in sports adventure.
According to a statement from Seven Summit Treks, Nepal’s largest expedition company, run by his family, climbing climber Nima last was on Mount Shishapangma in Tibet at 6:05 a.m. local time Wednesday. The achievements of climbers like Nima-dai-gyep have been increasing lately. His team has marked the rising importance of Nepali climbers, once modest support staff for Western expeditions, as the country gains higher credibility in climbing with increasing numbers of ascents to the world’s highest mountains.
Nima dedicated his record to his parents and the larger Sherpa community, saying, “We are not just guides; we are trailblazers.”
It puts Nima in a very small category of mountaineers and underlines Nepal’s deep connection to the world of high-altitude adventure
