Everest saw a flurry of records on Thursday including most summits for women and a black first team – and a Ukrainian climber took to the top of the world for the country. her devastating war. Nepalese mountaineer Lhakpa Sherpa, 48, reached the snow-capped peak for the 10th time, breaking her own record set in 2018. “Lhakpa stood atop Everest at 6:15 am today . This has become her 10th ascent,” Mingma Gelu Sherpa of Seven Summit Adventure, the agency in charge of her expedition, told AFP from Everest base camp.
Record holder Sherpa, who works at Whole Foods in Connecticut for the rest of the year, first climbed the world’s tallest mountain in 2001.
Sherpa said in an interview with AFP before leaving: “My climbing is not about achieving a record. Many people in the younger generation follow in my footsteps. They climb the mountain after me. So, I want the younger generation to keep going and not give up.” for the climb.
Thursday’s summit comes five days after a group of 11 Nepalese climbers fixed the ropes to set a route for this climbing season.
Among them was the full-circle Everest Expedition Team, the first all-black team to reach the top of the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) mountain.
“The first all-black expedition has reached Everest. At least six of the group reached the summit with their guides,” said Jiban Ghimire of Shangri-La Nepal Treks.
The wave of peaks also saw the only Ukrainian climber this season, Antonina Samoilova, summit with her country’s flag, her 14 Peaks Expedition agency confirmed.
“I climbed Everest to support all Ukrainians, support every fighter, every volunteer and all those affected by this devastating war and give strength to fight until we die. I win,” the 33-year-old said in an interview before departing for the Everest region.
Climber Lucy Westlake also became the youngest American female climber at the age of 18 to summit Everest, Xtreme Climbers Treks and Expeditions posted on their Facebook page.
Nepal has issued 317 permits to foreign climbers for this year’s Everest climbing season, which runs from mid-April to late May.
At least three climbers, one Russian and two Nepalese, have died on Everest since the season began.
The country only reopened its peaks to climbers last year after the pandemic shut down the industry in 2020.
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But with coronavirus cases dwindling, expedition operators in Nepal are hoping for a busier climbing season this year.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from the syndication feed.)
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