Climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks — all located in the Himalayas — has long represented the ultimate objective in alpinism. From K2 to Annapurna, these mountains present some of the toughest mountaineering challenges in the world.
And now they’ve been climbed by a teenager.
When Nima Rinji Sherpa reached the summit of Tibet’s 8,027m (26,335-foot) Shishapangma on October 9, he completed his goal to climb all 14 peaks higher than 8,000m. It took him about 2 years to pull it off, beating the previous record held by another Nepali climber, Mingma Gyabu “David” Sherpa, who achieved it in 2019 at the age of 30.
It’s one of several impressive new Himalayan mountain records broken this month by the country’s famously tough Sherpas. Nima and several other climbers received a grand welcome from the Nepal Mountaineering Association on Monday, the Himalayan Times reported.
That includes Mingma G. Sherpa, who set a new fastest time for scaling all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen alongside Nirmal “Nims” Purja. Dawa Yangzum Sherpa also summited Shishapangma last week, becoming the first Nepali woman to summit the world’s 14 highest mountains.
In a personal message released through guiding service 14 Peaks Expedition, Nima shared his goal to show Sherpas as more than just the famous mountain guides of the Himalayas — they are elite athletes capable of competing equally on the world stage.
“This summit is not just the culmination of my personal journey but a tribute to every Sherpa who has ever dared to dream beyond the traditional boundaries set for us,” Nima said.
A New Era for Nepali Climbers?
Nepal’s Sherpas have long worked as the backbone of Himalayan climbing expeditions. They complete the most dangerous work while often getting credit only as porters for Western climbers. That has begun to slowly change in recent years as some Nepali climbers have found their way into the spotlight, usually by climbing the Himalayas’ highest mountains.
Tenjen Lama Sherpa gained international media attention after claiming a Himalayan speed record last year with Norwegian Kristin Harila, and then died tragically a few months later in an avalanche while guiding American client Gina Marie Rzucidlo up Shishapangma.
That tragedy, which also claimed the lives of Mingmar Sherpa and his Western client Anna Gutu, occurred on Oct. 7 last year — almost the same day that Dawa Yangzum Sherpa summited Shishapangma last week and claimed her own record as Nepal’s first woman to summit the 14 peaks.
“Last year, we tragically lost four dear friends Gina, Tenjin, Mingma, and Anna. Returning to Shishapangma and summiting in Gina’s memory was one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced,” she wrote on Instagram this week. “However, this time, we were blessed with success and safety, which I am deeply thankful for.”
In a message to GearJunkie, Dawa Sherpa said she had long admired the first women to climb the Himalayas’ highest peaks. That includes Basque-Spanish mountaineer Edurne Pasaban, who summited them all in 2010, and Austrian Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, who became the first to climb them without supplementary oxygen in 2011.
Sherpa women have long supported the dreams of others, she said. Now it’s time to show a younger generation of Nepali girls that they can achieve the same things as white climbers, she added.
“Now we have many girls in climbing and guiding and I also do training for girls, since this is very nice for them,” Dawa said.
Sherpas’ Legacy Evolves
As for Nima, he grew up with some of the best mountaineers in the country — all of them Sherpas. His father, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, and his uncles, Mingma Sherpa and Chhang Dawa Sherpa, have all become recognized Himalayan climbers. Their legacies in the mountaineering world have deeply inspired Nima’s pursuit of this monumental achievement, according to a statement from 14 Peaks Expeditions.
“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,” Nima said. “Mountaineering is more than labor; it is a testament to our strength, resilience, and passion.”
“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,” Nima said. “Mountaineering is more than labor; it is a testament to our strength, resilience, and passion.”
As for Mingma G. Sherpa, he let his partner Nims Purja accept the recognition in Kathmandu for their joint speed record summiting the highest peaks without supplementary oxygen.
Mingma skipped the “grand welcome,” according to The Himalayan Times, because he’s currently in Indonesia climbing Carstensz Pyramid. At 16,024 feet, it’s the highest island mountain in the world.
