Record holder Lhakpa Sherpa

The authors of the Guinness Book of Records must put pen to paper. The information about the climbers with the highest number of Everest ascents has to be updated – both for women and for men. According to her brother Mingma Gelu Sherpa, Lhakpa Sherpa today reached the summit at 8,850 meters from the Tibetan north side. For the 44-year-old it was the ninth ascent of the highest of all mountains. Lhakpa, who lives in the USA with her two daughters at the age of eleven and 16, has already held this record. By the way, on her first ascent in 2000, Lhakpa Sherpa was the first Nepalese female climber who did not only summit Everest but also returned safe and sound to base camp. Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first woman from Nepal on top of Everest, had died in 1993 on the descent.

His goal: 25 times on the summit

Kami Rita Sherpa

For men, there is now a sole record holder. Kami Rita Sherpa, ascending from the south, stood on the roof of the world for the 22nd time today, leaving behind Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi, with 21 Everest summit successes each. The 58-year-old Apa Sherpa had finished his climbing career already in 2011. Phurba Tashi, aged 47, is now only working for Everest expeditions in the base camp – with consideration for his family. The new record man Kami Rita Sherpa, however, wants to continue to climb Everest. “I still feel fit. I can complete 25 ascents,” said the 48-year-old.

Woman power here, technical problems there

South side of Mount Everest

Among the nearly 100 (!) climbers who reached the top of Everest today were Lakpa Yangji Sherpa (30 years old), Pasang Lhamu Sherpa “Phinasa” (37) and Yangdi Sherpa (25). The ascent of these three Sherpani (via the south side) was under the motto “Women’s Confidence”. In advance, Pasang Lhamu had written that the “Women Everest Expedition 2018” was “a great platform to raise the voice for women and their rights and empowering them”.

The team of the US operator Alpenglow Expeditions had unusual difficulties today. The climbers led by Adrian Ballinger had to abandon their summit attempt at 8,500 meters on the Northeast Ridge, because the regulators of their oxygen cylinders failed in series. 50 percent of the devices didn’t work properly, Ballinger wrote on Instagram: “It’s not the experience I wanted to have today.”

Kami Rita Sherpa

Some records just happen by themselves. Like the one of Kami Rita Sherpa on Mount Everest. If the 48-year-old reaches the summit of the highest mountain on earth at 8,850 meters this spring as a team member of the Nepalese expedition operator “Seven Summit Treks”, he will be the sole record holder. He still shares the record of 21 Everest summit successes with Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa. “I did not start climbing to set a world record,” Kami Rita told AFP. “But in the course of my work in the guiding industry this is going to be my 22nd ascent. It wasn’t for any competition.”

Inspired by the father

Mount Everest

Kami Rita Sherpa was born in the village of Thame in the Khumbu region, near Everest. His family lives in the second generation on mountaineering tourism. Kami’s father hired for expeditions in the 1950s. His career ended when he suffered severe frostbite during climbing. “My inspiration has always been my father,” Kami Rita told the newspaper “Kathmandu Post”. “ He is the one who drives me forward and always pushes me to do great things. As he never climbed Everest, I wanted to do it for him.” That’s what also Kami’s older brother, Lakpa Rita Sherpa, did, so far 17 times. Lakpa also wrote history when he became the first Nepali to complete the collection of the “Seven Summits”, the highest mountains of all continents, with a summit success on Kilimanjaro in 2009.

More and better information

On top of Everest (in 2017)

When Kami Rita stood on the roof of the world for the first time in 1994, he was one of 49 climbers who reached the summit of Everest that spring season. In spring 2017 there were more than 600 climbers on the top.  “The dangers are still there: the crevasses are deep and the slopes are unpredictable. But we are not climbing blind like we used to, ” the Sherpa compares his ascents earlier and today. “We are better informed about weather and other condition on the mountain.” Even if he succeeds his record climb, Kami Rita Sherpa does not want to turn his back on Everest. “My goal is to reach the summit at least 25 times.”

Phurba Tashi at base camp

Phurba Tashi in front of his lodge

The 47-year-old Phurba Tashi Sherpa, one of the three current record holders, will also be on the highest mountain in the world this spring, but does not want to set a new record. “Phurba will be at BC and will not be trying to climb Everest again,” New Zealander Russell Brice, head of the expedition operator “Himalayan Experience”, writes to me. “The record means nothing to me,” Phurba told me two years ago when I visited him at home in Khumjung. “It is much more important to come down healthy again. Finally, I have a wife and five children, I have to feed them.” The third record holder, Apa Sherpa, who comes from Thame like Kami Rita, is now living in the United States. The 58-year-old has finished his Everest career in 2011.

Hillary Stupa above Khumjung

It is a beautiful place. Located on a hill above Khumjung, off the small path that leads down to the village. With a view to Mount Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Sir Edmund Hillary would have liked the place. For more than five years, a small part of his ashes has been resting there – in a stupa built in honor of the first ascender of Everest. Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of the death of the New Zealander. At the age of 88, Hillary had died on 11 January 2008 in Auckland. Most of his ashes were later scattered on the harbour of his hometown, at the express request of the deceased, as his son Peter Hillary once told me: “The city was the base camp for his expeditions. He was definitely an Aucklander.”

Sir Ed’s words still up to date

Sir Edmund Hillary (in 2004)

I was fortunate enough to meet Sir Ed twice: on the occasion of the opening of a mountaineering exhibition in Austria in 2000 and three years later at the celebrations in Kathmandu on the 50th anniversary of Hillary’s and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay’s first ascent of Everest. “I think that we were the lucky ones. We were pioneers in everything we did and never followed in the footsteps of other people,“ Sir Ed told me at our first meeting, criticizing the commercialization of Everest. “There are people who hardly understand mountaineering. They do not care about the mountain. They have paid $ 65,000 and all they want is to set foot on the summit, go home and boast about it.” His words of that time could as well – with an adjusted sum of money – describe the current situation on the highest mountain in the world.

Himalayan Trust more important than Everest success

New Zealand note with his portrait signed by Sir Ed

Hillary then also had took a small stock of his life: “Over the years, our first ascent of Everest has become less important in people’s minds than what we do with our sherpa friends in the schools and medical facilities. And that’s just how I myself feel about it.” The Hillary Stupa is located not without reason above Khumjung. In 1961, Sir Ed’s still active aid organization “Himalayan Trust” had founded in this village their first school in the Khumbu area.

Statements of Sir Edmund Hillary (in 2000)

Veto of the lamas

It would not have taken much more and Hillary’s ashes would have been scattered on top of Mount Everest. In 2010, Apa Sherpa – who (together with Phurba Tashi) still holds the Everest record with 21 ascents – wanted to take the ashes to the 8850 meter-high summit. The plan failed because of the veto of the lamas. The spiritual Buddhist teachers warned that it was “inauspicious” to scatter ashes at a holy place. This much is certain: The Hillary Stupa above Khumjung is certainly a quieter place than the summit of Mount Everest.

Phurba Tashi in front of his lodge

Phurba Tashi is a man of few words. The 45-year-old replies friendly but shortly. “This year, I will definitely not climb Mount Everest”, Phurba tells me when we sit down for a few minutes on a bench in front of his “Tashi Friendship Lodge” in the village of Khumjung. Actually, he has no time to talk to me because his family has gathered for a religious ceremony to commemorate Phurba’s parents who both died in the past six months. Some Buddhist monks have come to his Lodge. “The death of my parents is also the reason why I renounce the ascent this time,” says Phurba.

Only at Base Camp

High winds on Everest (today)

He has reached the highest point on earth already 21 times. Together with Apa Sherpa (who has long since ended his mountain career), Phurba Tashi is holding the record for the most Everest ascents ever. Aged 28, he was on top for the first time, in 2013 for the last time to date. In some seasons Phurba ascended Everest double or even triple. This spring, he will stay at Base Camp to coordinate the work of the Climbing Sherpas – for the New Zealand expedition operator Himalayan Experience. “I have already worked for Russell Brice, head of Himex, on 30 to 40 expeditions,” says Phurba, adding that this spring the team consists of only six clients.

Black year does not apply to climbers

Earthquake damage: Stupa in Khumjung

“I think that there will be summit successes this season,” says Phurba. “This winter we had little snow. And the Icefall Doctors do a good job.” The Buddhist lamas predicted a bad year for the Sherpas, but that does not apply to climbers, Phurba continues: “Maybe I try to ascend again in 2017 – if everything fits together.” I want to know whether he is itching to be the exclusive Everest record holder. “No, the record means nothing to me,” Phurba replies. “It is much more important to come down healthy again. Finally, I have a wife and five children, I have to feed them.” Then Phurba Tashi says goodbye. He has to return to his family. When a short time later one of the monks comes to fresh air, I ask him if the predicted black year for the Sherpas really does not apply to climbers. The monk laughs and says: “Everything is good. They are welcome to climb up.”

Coconut with hair

The Yeti skull

In Khumjung, I also marvelled the famous “Yeti skull”. It is stored in a safe in the Gompa, the small monastery of the village. For 250 rupees (about 2.50 euros) an old employee of the Gompa, who powers the keys, opens the safe for a moment. And there it is, next a few butter lamps: the supposed skull of the alleged Himalayan monster – and looks rather like a coconut with hair.

P.S.: Maybe I won’t send any reports for a few days. I want to trek to the 5380-meter-high Gokyo Ri to enjoy the magnificent panorama – if the weather is good. Then, of course, I will show you some nice pictures.

Apa Sherpa

Will Apa Sherpa feel melancholy these days? Climbers from all over the world are arriving at Everest basecamp on the south side of the mountain. Meanwhile the so called „Ice Doctors” have prepared the route through the dangerous Khumbu icefall up to Camp 2 on 6600 metres. The climbing season on the highest mountain of the world is ready to start. For more than two decades Everest was an integral part of Apa’s life. Nobody has reached the top of the world as often as this 1.63 metre tall man: He reached the summit 21 times and became a living legend. In 2011 Apa finished his Everest career. Now he is about 53 years old. He doesn’t know for sure because in the 1960s no birth certificates were issued for Sherpas in his home village Thame in the Everest region.

Committed to education and environment

Since the end of his Everest career Apa has been taking care of his foundation that promotes educational projects in Nepal – and of environmental protection. Last year he trekked together with Dawa Steven Sherpa on the „Great Himalaya Trail” 1555 km from the east to the west of Nepal. It was a campaign to raise awareness to the dangers of global warming for the Himalayas. Apa is also worried about Everest. „Meanwhile, first I want people to respect the mountain and protect it from harm”, Apa writes to me. „Everest belongs to everyone in the world. We need to save it for our future generations too.”

Everest opened doors of opportunity

Apa and Mount Everest (l., with snow banner)

Not only Apa’s life, the lives of all Sherpas are closely linked to Mount Everest. „People know us in the world because of Mount Everest. More importantly, it opened the doors of opportunity for Sherpa people in the rest of the world”, Apa says. „Where we are now is because of Mount Everest. Everest is Nepal’s pride and is our greatest treasure.” On occasion of the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest he wishes that „it continues to inspire climbers from all over the world to visit Nepal, dream big and take success all the way to the summit”. (You find Apa’s full statements on the two Everest-60-pinboards on the right side of the blog.)

No eternal record

Apa holding the record certificate

Records are there to be broken. That surely will also happen to Apa’s Everest record, perhaps even this year. Phurba Tashi, often referred to as the „Everest Yak” because of his immense strength at altitude, has already summited Everest 19 times. In 2007 he reached the top three times in one season, in 2011 twice. This spring Phurba, born in the village of Khumjung in 1971, is working for Himalayan Experience as sirdar (head) of the climbing sherpas.

Season’s first fatality 

Before any climber from abroad has set his feet on the normal route the first fatality of the season is reported from Everest. On Sunday 45-year-old Mingmar Sherpa, one of the “Icefall Doctors”, has died after falling into a crevasse below camp 2. RIP.