Natasha EffendyIn late August 2022, 47-year-old Sanu Sherpa (a Nepali mountaineer) set a new record for climbing 14 of the world’s highest peaks not once, but twice. These consisted of eight mountains in Nepal, followed by five in Pakistan, and one in Tibet.
Also read: Domino’s Delivery Rider Hikes Japan’s Highest Mountain to Deliver Pizza
Sanu Sherpa’s story
Image credit: Pioneer Adventure Official Facebook Page
But Sherpa wasn’t always a mountaineer. Previously, he was a farmer in the Sankhuwasabha District in East Nepal. However, farming crops wasn’t enough to support his family of eight. So, when he saw men from the village returning home with better earnings from mountaineering, he decided to become a porter. In fact, he was among many villagers in the district that pursued climbing mountains for a living.
Conquering Mount Everest
In 2006, Sherpa successfully hiked to the peak of Mount Cho Oyu while guiding a group of Korean travellers. However, it was only in 2019 when he decided to hike up all 14 of the world’s highest peaks.
By 2022, Sherpa had climbed mountains up to 8,000m high — as many as 37 times! He had climbed Mount Everest seven times, among other notable achievements. As a mountaineer, he was also involved in many expeditions that required high-risk rescue missions.
Image credit: Sanu Sherpa
Due to his work and reputation as one of the top Mount Everest guides, many have reached out to have him guide them through these mountains. However, he has not accepted any of them yet, as thoughts of retiring and travelling the world are priorities at the moment.
Also read: A One-Week Itinerary for Exploring Nepal and Bhutan
Image credit: Bisesh Gurung
Would you like to climb Mount Everest someday? We sure know we would!
Featured image credit: Makalu Adventure Official Website
