Climbing mountains is every mountaineer’s enthusiasm. Some take it to the next level, becoming a prominent figure in the industry, while some leave the dream behind. Tashi Lakpa Sherpa is one of such mountaineer who grew up with a passion for climbing mountains and later turned into the pioneer of mountaineering. He went from rags to riches in the mountaineering industry as he grew up in a normal family, spending most of his childhood grazing animals in the forest.
Following his passion, he took mountaineering training in Kathmandu and scaled Mount Everest without oxygen supplements at just 19. This made his way to the Guinness Book of World Records for becoming the youngest climber to climb Everest without oxygen in 2005. The rest is history: since then, Tashi has climbed Everest eight times, Ama Dablam, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Island Peak, and many others. He also has scaled the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro.
Currently, he is a Managing Director of Seven Summit Treks Pvt. Ltd. and the founder of 14 Peaks Expedition. He not only climbs mountains but also facilitates other mountaineers who are aspiring to climb mountains over 8000 meters from the organization. Besides mountaineering, he is also part of several TV Series like Everest Man and Everest Air. Here is some important information that you might find amusing to know about Tashi Lakpa Sherpa. Read Below!
Early Life and Background
Tashi Lakpa Sherpa is a professional Nepali mountaineer and rescuer. He was born on 18 November 1985 in Sankhuwasabha District of Nepal in the Makalu Region. He is currently 37 years in 2023. As a child, he spent most of his early life in a remote village named Nurbuchour (Makalu).
During his early stages of life, he grew up as a herdsman. As he was from a remote location in Nepal, based in agriculture and livestock, he was busy grazing cattle like sheep, goats, and yaks in the yards and the forest.
Tashi was born to his parents, Ongdi Sherpa and Pema Khangdu Sherpa. He grew up with his seven siblings – he was the seventh child of his parents. Among them were two of his brothers, Chhang Dawa Sherpa and Mingma Sherpa, professional mountaineers.
Tashi Lakpa Sherpa was raised in a Sherpa family, following the Buddhist religion. He holds Nepalese citizenship and is of Asian (Mongol) descent.
Passion for Mountaineering
Though Tashi Lakpa Sherpa got involved in grazing cattle in the remote Sankhuwasabha district, mountaineering was always in his blood. He always wanted to engrave his name as a professional mountaineer from a young age. So, at the age of 16, he came to Kathmandu to hone his mountaineering skills and techniques. He eventually enrolled at a mountaineering training center and took the basic wall and rock climbing training.
After that, Tashi got involved in mountaineering gigs and climbed several peaks in Nepal, making him one of the most prominent figures in history.
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Major Climbing Expeditions
Tashi always had a dream of becoming a professional mountaineer. It was the same passion that brought him to the level he is today. After he obtained mountaineering training in Kathmandu, his journey of climbing peaks began.
In 2004, he climbed Mount Everest without any oxygen supplements. With this unmatched achievement, he became the youngest climber to scale Everest without oxygen. He initiated his climb from Everest Base Camp, reaching the summit via South Col. (Nepal Side). From then onwards, Tashi has climbed Mount Everest eight times, keeping his name under the list of most successful climbs on Everest.
Besides, his mountaineering accolades have many other successful summits. He has climbed other peaks, such as Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m), Mt. Makalu (8463m), and Ama Dablam (6812m) in Nepal. In addition, he has scaled up many 7000 meters and 6000 meters peaks in Nepal, including Mt. Tilicho and Island Peak. Outside the country, Tashi has climbed Mount Denali in North America, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, and Mount Elbrus in Europe.
Besides that, in 2019, Tashi and his team attempted to climb Everest in Winter, one of the rarest and scariest expeditions. However, they could not reach the top and returned after reaching 7300m of Everest via South Side. They reached higher than Camp III; however, due to harsh weather conditions, the expedition was incomplete.
Recognition Of Tashi Lakpa Sherpa
If you are unaware, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa is a founding member of 14 Peak Expedition Pvt. Ltd. Initially, he worked as a Mountaineering athlete in the company from Jan 2017 – Dec 2017. Through the same organization, he founded and worked as an Event Producer at BREATHLESS: The World’s Highest Race 2018. It was a high-altitude marathon starting at about 5644 meters around Everest Region.
In the meantime, Tashi became part of several television shows like Everest Man featuring Kami Rita Sherpa. Kami Rita Sherpa is a Guinness Book Of World Records holder for the most successful climb of Everest, 28 times. Similarly, he starred in another television series in 2016, entitled ‘Everest Air.’
The most notable accolade of Tashi Lakpa Sherpa is working as a Managing Director of Seven Summit Treks Pvt. Ltd for nineteen years. He joined the mountaineering company in 2009 and has been contributing ever since.
Similarly, he founded 14 Peaks Expedition in 2013 and has been working as a Founder and Chairman. The main motive of the organization is to make a 14 X 8000 ers peak expedition in the world. They facilitate global climbers who tend to climb mountains over 8000 meters. Since eight mountains out of 14 over 8000 meters lies in Nepal, the organization’s mission is somehow more relevant.
Apart from these things, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa is also working under the Government of Nepal. He is a mountaineering expert at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (Nepal).
Tashi Lakpa Sherpa Saved A Hiker From A Crevasse On Everest
In early June 2023, Tashi shared a video on his social media where he was seen rescuing a hiker from a crevasse. In the video, he is carrying a snow shovel in one hand and securing the hiker on a rope. The crevasse appears like a narrow gorge, having room for hardly two people inside. But with the heroic attempt, Tashi was able to save the life of the hiker. The hiker fell several feet deep into the narrow crevasse, asking for help. Tashi, who came to the rescue, happily smiled and did his job to the best, thanks to his professional mountaineering skills.
Sharing the video on Instagram, Tashi wrote,
‘Safe one more life on [Mt. Everest]….This is an incredible and extreme rescue from a crevasse on Everest between Camp 1 and Camp 2 done by @heli.everest @iamsimonemoro @gelje_sherpa_ @gesmantamang @bennylieb @pasangnurbu14 @ Dawa sherpa, and I’m happy for my leadership and coordination by myself.’
The video shared by Tashi shows the potential dangers while climbing Mount Everest. That’s the reason why Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Government made it compulsory to hire professional guides for treks and expeditions. It is equally responsible for climbers to prepare strictly for the treacherous landscapes and weather conditions in the Himalayas.
Tashi On Social Media
Tashi Lakpa Sherpa is a verified user of Instagram, with over 50.6k followers. He uses the platform under the username @tashi8848.86.Most of his contents are related to mountaineering and rescuing. Similarly, he has more than 5.6k followers on his Facebook Page Profile. He shares the insights of the Himalayas and information about the expedition and treks around the region. In addition, he is active on Instagram as @TashiLakpa, having around 114 followers to date.
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