This teen became the youngest person to summit the world’s highest peaks. Now he wants others to follow in his footsteps
By Helen Regan, CNN
(CNN) — Nima Rinji Sherpa’s ears are still tinged black from wind chill, an occupational hazard of climbing to heights where humans struggle to breathe, and where the weather can turn deadly in an instant.
This month, Nima became the youngest person to summit all 14 of the world’s highest peaks, but the 18-year-old Nepalese mountaineer is already getting ready for his next big feat.
Speaking to CNN via video call from the Nepali capital Kathmandu last week, Nima said he’s taking a couple weeks’ rest before preparing to climb the world’s eighth-highest mountain, Manaslu, with Italian mountaineer Simone Moro – in winter, alpine-style.
“That means we’re climbing an 8,000-meter mountain in winter… There’s no fixed ropes for us, there’s no (supplemental) oxygen for us, there is no support for us. So, it’s like pure human endurance,” Nima said. “It has never been done in the history of mountaineering.”
After that, “I’ll take some rest,” Nima laughed.
On October 9, Nima reached the top of the 8,027-meter (26,335-foot) Shishapangma along with his partner Pasang Nurbu Sherpa. For Nima, it was the final of the “eight-thousanders,” the 14 peaks recognized by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation as standing more than 8,000 meters above sea level.
Describing the moment of summiting the final peak as “pure joy,” Nima said his motivation comes from his family, many of whom are renowned mountaineers.
His father, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, has climbed Everest nine times, and at age 19 became the youngest person to summit without bottled oxygen. His uncle Mingma Sherpa became the first South Asian climber to summit the 14 peaks in 2011.
“My uncles and my father, they are way more successful than I would ever be because they came from a very small village. To even dream about being this successful, for them it was really hard,” Nima said. “I have the privilege that they didn’t have.”
Not just support staff
Nepal’s ethnic Sherpas have lived in the high altitudes of the Himalayas for generations and have long served as guides and porters, whose local expertise has been invaluable for foreigners attempting climbs in the area.
Their name has become synonymous with mountaineering. Sherpas are more often than not the backbone of international mountaineering expeditions, hauling heavy gear and supplies up mountains and guiding people to high-altitude summits in dangerous conditions.
But they often don’t receive the same recognition or financial rewards as their Western counterparts.
Despite his record-breaking achievement, Nima’s climbs did not attract big-name sponsors, and he relied on his father’s 14 Peaks Expedition company for funds and logistical support.
“Everybody talks about Sherpas being superhuman, but how many Sherpas (do) we see being the face of a brand or being a sponsored athlete? None,” Nima said.
Nima said he hopes he can inspire other young Sherpa climbers to realize their potential as athletes and professional mountaineers, and to not be seen solely as support staff.
“Hopefully I become the face of a big brand. And then the younger generation of Sherpas, they don’t see this as like a dead job, you know, like a risky job. They see this as an athletic feat as well.”
He hopes to use his recent achievement to “open a door” for other Nepali climbers.
“Because sometimes in life, you find a moment when you think the community is bigger than you, and that’s what I am aiming for, that’s what I hope for,” he said.
The death zone
Nima started his epic journey in September 2022 when he first climbed Nepal’s 8,163m Manaslu. Over the next two years, he summited all of the “eight-thousanders” including Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 8,849m, and the notoriously dangerous K2 at 8,611m.
He summited Everest and Lhotse, standing at 8,516m, on the same day – just 10 hours apart – and climbed five of the peaks in under five weeks.
“When I climbed Everest it was night, so there was no view from the mountain. Because we had to climb the next mountain, it was so quick. I took some photos … but in my mind, I was thinking of the next mountain that I’m going to climb,” he said.
His favorite climb was Annapurna, at 8,091m, which he did without bottled oxygen.
“For a teenager of 17 years to do something without using oxygen, you know, normally it’s not recommended,” he laughed. “Annapurna was where I felt really strong … It was really one of the best, my most beautiful mountain for me.”
He said the final 200 meters were most difficult, “because I was spending 20 hours without oxygen in my brain.”
“Til then, I was just feeling unstoppable, you know, just walking faster than everybody else,” he said.
But Nima said the mountains “always find a reason to keep you humble.”
“Regardless of the beauty of the mountains, the success of the summit, it’s always going to be a dangerous sport,” he said.
Nima and his climbing partner Pasang got caught “in a couple of avalanches” on Annapurna. He hurt his arm before climbing Shishapangma and didn’t drink enough water, leaving him with cramps. And while climbing the last 700 meters of Nanga Parbat, 8,126m, without fixed ropes, Nima slipped on an icy rock.
“My first word from my mouth was my climbing partner’s name. I knew he would somehow save me, so I just called him,” Nima said. “We were together, connected on the same rope. So, when I fell, he also fell, and he just threw an ice ax, and we just stopped together.”
Spending prolonged time above 8,000 meters – known as the “death zone” – your body starts to shut down. The thin air starves brains and lungs of oxygen, which can develop into the deadly condition hypoxia.
Nima describes life above 8,000 meters as “about who can suffer the most given the circumstances.”
When temperatures fall below minus 16 degrees Celsius (3.2 degrees Fahrenheit) and the wind races at 100 kilometers per hour, Nima said that’s when a climber’s physical ability stops, and their mental strength takes over.
“Maybe I like suffering,” he laughed.
Leaving a better legacy
Nepal is at the sharp end of the climate crisis, as rising temperatures are rapidly melting Himalayan glaciers and worsening devastating flooding, impacting millions of people.
Increasing tourism to Nepal is bringing needed dollars but also tons of garbage that threatens the fragile ecosystem of the mountains.
Nima says he hopes his generation can leave a more sustainable legacy for the next.
“You can see a lot of problems… Hopefully, the younger generation, like me and others, we will try to mobilize this industry and make it more sustainable for the upcoming generations,” he said.
His dream is to start an organization to fund training and technical facilities to help young Nepalis get into climbing and guiding safely as a profession.
This year, Nepali climbers have broken many records in the Himalayas. Dawa Yangzum Sherpa became the youngest Nepalese woman to climb the 14 peaks. Mingma G Sherpa became the first Nepali climber to summit all 14 without bottled oxygen. And Phunjo Jhangmu Lama climbed Everest in a record-breaking 14.5 hours.
Nima said he dreams of Nepali climbers getting the same attention as professional Western climbers and he already sees the younger generation making it their own.
“The generation before us, they are the pioneers, we’re climbing the route that they established,” he said.
“But I’m just so happy that I’m living in this moment right now, so much is happening in the world of mountaineering. And as a younger generation, we’ll always try to do something better.”
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CNN’s Amy Woodyatt contributed reporting.
