Nepalese Nima Rinji Sherpa, 18, is preparing to climb the 14th peak missing from his list of achievements in September, which is over 8,000 meters high. If successful, he will become the youngest mountaineer in history to conquer all 8,000 meters.
Nima Rinji Sherpa to tackle fourteenth peak in September – Shishapangma located in Tibet (8,027 m above sea level). However, it is still awaiting authorization from the Chinese authorities.
The 18-year-old has already made dozens of climbs and emphasizes that his mission is to “inspire the younger generation and rediscover mountaineering”.
Conquering 14 eight-thousanders is considered the pinnacle of a mountaineer’s glory. The first person to do this was Reinhold Messner, an Italian, in 1986. Since then, only about forty other climbers have managed to do it.
All the highest peaks in the world are located in Nepal, China, India and Pakistan – in the Himalayas and the neighboring Karakoram mountain range. To reach them, you have to venture into the “death zone,” where low oxygen levels can be fatal over time.
When I’m in the mountains, I could die at any moment. It makes me realize how important life is. – said Nima Rinji Sherpa, adding that the mountains taught him to remain calm in all circumstances.
When I see an avalanche, the weather is bad or I witness an accident, I mentally convince myself not to rush and not to get nervous. I tell myself that these things are normal in the mountains. I think it has helped me a lot. – emphasized the 18-year-old.
The young climber, a member of the Sherpa people, was born into a family of great mountaineers. His uncle, Mingma Gyabu “David” Sherpa, is currently the youngest person to conquer all 14 eight-thousanders. He achieved this in 2019, at the age of 30. His father, Tashi Sherpa, initially devoted himself to raising yaks, but over time he took up mountaineering.
I come from a privileged family. However, trips to the mountains taught me what hardship is and what the true value of life is. My whole family is mountaineering. I have always been close to mountaineering and expeditions, but I didn’t want to be a mountaineer. – admitted Nima Rinji Sherpa, who He was initially interested in football and preferred hiking in the mountains with a camera to climbing peaks.
Two years ago he changed his mind and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. Since then, he has been breaking records..
In August 2022, he conquered his first peak – Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world (8,163 m). At the age of 16, he became the youngest mountaineer to achieve this feat. In June last year, he became the youngest person to climb Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world (8,586 m).
Nepalese guides, mostly members of the Sherpa people, form the backbone of commercial mountaineering in the Himalayas, setting up ropes, ladders and carrying most of the equipment and supplies. Staying in the shadow of their wealthy foreign clients – climbing Everest costs over $45,000 (approximately PLN 173,000) – they slowly begin to realize that their own achievements are recognized in their own right.
Nima Rinji Sherpa dreams of a future where the Nepalese people also consider mountaineering a sport.
My goal is to make mountaineering a professional sport in Nepal. – said the 18-year-old.
