Mingma G Breaks Barriers: First Nepali to scale 14 peaks sans bottled oxygen
In a career-defining climb, the Rolwaling native leads a multinational team to Shishapangma summit, solidifying his place in elite mountaineering.
In a career-defining climb, the Rolwaling native leads a multinational team to Shishapangma summit, solidifying his place in elite mountaineering.
Legendary Sherpa climber Mingma G has become the first Nepali to conquer all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks without supplemental oxygen, cementing his place among the elite of global mountaineering.
The latest achievement came at 4:06pm China time on Friday, when he successfully led a team of 11 multinational climbers to the summit of Shishapangma, the world’s 14th highest peak, confirmed the expedition organisers Imagine Nepal.
The team completed a nearly 14-hour summit push in perilous conditions, following the Spanish route first pioneered by Edurne Pasaban in 2006. Although the China/Tibet Mountaineering Association regulations require climbers to use supplemental oxygen above 7,000 metres, Mingma G chose not to rely on it during his ascent. This decision highlights his extraordinary endurance and further emphasises his leadership in high-altitude mountaineering.
In a career spanning nearly two decades since 2007, he has achieved numerous extraordinary accomplishments. These include summiting Everest from both the North and South sides, five ascents of K2, and multiple climbs of Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, as well as seven ascents of Manaslu.
In addition to Mingma G’s historic achievement, five team members also completed their own quest to summit all 14 of the world’s highest peaks, setting national and personal records along the way.
Mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja has summited Shishapangma for the second time, thus becoming the fastest climber to ascend all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres without supplemental oxygen.
Purja reached the summit around 4:15 PM on Saturday, according to officials at the mountain’s base camp.
He achieved this distinction in just two and a half years. Incidentally, his first ascent of Shishapangma in 2019 set a new speed-climbing record for the 14 peaks in 190 days.
That record was surpassed in 2023 by Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali Sherpa guide, Tenjen, scaling all 14 peaks in 93 days.
Purja, a former British Army soldier, began his extraordinary journey without supplemental oxygen in 2022 with the ascent of Kanchenjunga on May 7. He then climbed Everest on May 27 and Lhotse the next day.
He continued his pursuit in 2023 with the summits of Annapurna on April 15 and Makalu on June 5. During that summer, he recorded the fastest ascents of five peaks Nanga Parbat, K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II in just 26 days—all without bottled oxygen. Last October, he climbed Cho Oyu from Tibet.
Dr. Tracee Lee Metcalfe became the first American climber to summit the true peaks of all 14 highest 8,000-metre mountains, a testament to her dedication and expanding the presence of US climbers in high-altitude expeditions.
Naoki Ishikawa also made history as the first Japanese climber to complete all 14 true 8,000-meter summits, a significant accomplishment in international mountaineering.
Sirbaz Khan became the first Pakistani climber to conquer all 14 of these towering giants, marking a major milestone for his country in the global climbing community.
Other notable achievements included Dawa Gyalje Sherpa, who fulfilled his dream of summiting all 14 peaks. Dr. Sashko Kedev of Macedonia completed his 12th peak, leaving only Kanchenjunga and Gasherbrum-I to join the exclusive 14-peak club.
Kili Pemba Sherpa has now summited 12 peaks, Phur Galjen Sherpa has completed 11 and Ngima Nuru Sherpa, hailing from Thame Village, has now conquered nine. Jangbu Sherpa added Shishapangma as his third 8,000-meter peak, and Sensai Pema Waiba, a high-altitude photographer and videographer, also reached the summit.
Several more new records are expected at Shishapangma in the coming days, as climbers return following the tragedy in 2023 when an avalanche claimed the lives of notable mountaineers, including Tenjen Lama Sherpa, Anna Gutu and Gina Marie Rzucidlo.
Among those aiming for historic achievements is Nima Rinji Sherpa, who seeks to become the youngest climber to summit all 14 peaks, a title currently held by his uncle, Mingma Gyabu David Sherpa.
Shishapangma, located in Tibet, is often viewed as relatively less challenging than peaks in Pakistan. However, it has increasingly become perilous in recent years due to avalanches, climate change, and difficulties in timely rescue efforts, leading to a rise in fatalities among climbers.
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