Climbing Everest once is a feat, so ten times can be called a feat. A unique performance that the Nepalese Lhakpa Sherpa has just achieved. She entered a new dimension of mountaineering by becoming the first woman to climb the most mythical of summits ten times. Portrait. If the Indian Anshu Jamsenpa is the first woman to have climbed Everest twice in five days, a Nepalese has just achieved equally remarkable performance. Lhakpa Sherpa is part of the very closed circle of women to have reached the top of the roof of the world several times. The last dates back to Thursday, May 12, 2022.
This new performance made him change dimensions. It’s not given to everyone to be able to tackle Everest and especially to reach the summit ten times in the space of 22 years! She knows that the risk of not coming back exists. More than 300 people have already lost their lives trying to climb Everest.
So, Lhakpa Sherpa always begins his journey with a prayer. And the gods of Everest allowed her to climb the mountain for the tenth time, becoming the first woman to accomplish this feat. “After 8,000 meters, I feel like a zombie, ” said Lhakpa Sherpa on his return. We can’t eat and everything is frozen. You have to climb at night to be able to reach the summit in daylight. It’s scary! Once at the top, the mountaineer only stays between 5 to 10 minutes before descending.
A 22-year-old love
Her love affair with Everest dates back to the year 2000. Aged 26, she fulfilled a childhood dream by reaching the summit for the first time. A magical moment for this Nepalese who grew up at the foot of this coveted mountain. “I was born in a cave. I don’t even know my date of birth. My passport says I’m 48, she told the BBC. I remember having to walk for hours, sometimes carrying my brothers to school, only to be turned away when I got there.
At the time, girls were not allowed to go to school. In 2003, Lhakpa Sherpa became the first woman to climb this mountain three times. She was later joined by her brother and sister, and they became the first three siblings to simultaneously climb a mountain over 8,000 meters high. A feat that is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Then, Lhakpa Sherpa meets another love and marries a climber with whom she has climbed Everest five times. Then they separated and she headed to the United States.
I want young women not to give up
The story of this 48-year-old woman is beautiful. A few months ago, Lhakpa Sherpa was employed as a cleaner in a supermarket. “I felt like I had achieved my dream when I summited Everest for the first time, ” she told the BBC. I felt like I had changed the Sherpa culture, and the status of Sherpa women, and Nepalese women. I loved being away from home and wanted to share that feeling with all women.
Lhakpa Sherpa intends to demonstrate that women are capable of exploits. And climbing helped her to emancipate herself. “I grew up right next to Everest. I could see it from my house. Everest continues to inspire and excite me. I had a difficult life. The mountains made me happy and relaxed. I’ll never give up. I want young women not to give up.
Soon the K2?
After this new feat, Lhakpa Sherpa wants to climb K2, the second-highest peak in the world. She would also like to climb Everest again with her son and daughters, to pass on her passion for mountaineering to them. The mountaineer has not finished writing his story.
