Apa Sherpa

Apa Sherpa is the only man in history to reach the top of the world 17 times. As the world record holder of the most summits of Everest, Apa is widely recognized to be one of the greatest living mountaineers.

 

Ironically, summiting Everest was never a goal for Apa. At 12 years of age, he first began working as an expedition porter to earn money following the untimely death of his father. Leaders and trekkers alike immediately noticed the child who, despite his exceedingly small stature, carried loads greater than his own weight with strength, quickness and a wide smile.

 

Coming from Thame, the hometown of Everest legend Tenzing Norgay, it was almost inevitable that Apa would become a high altitude sherpa on Everest. He began carrying loads on Everest in 1988, but it wasn’t until May 10, 1990, that he reached the summit for the first time along with Rob Hall, Gary Ball, and Peter Hillary.

 

Since that memorable day, Apa has participated in 17 Everest expeditions and reached the summit 16 times. Adhering to a simple philosophy that “Everest will always be there” and it is more important to keep all team members and sherpas safe, Apa has led his teams to amazing success. He is the recipient of three medals of commendation from the royal family of Nepal as well as being recognized by mountaineering associations around the world.

 

If Apa could have planned his life differently, however, he says that he would gladly have given up the world records for a good education and a career as a medical doctor. That is why education for his own children and for the other children from Thame is his top priority.

 

It is this desire for his children’s education that has brought Apa to the United States. While the decision to leave his homeland was a difficult one, Apa knows that his new home will bring him continued opportunities to pass on all that he has learned from climbing.

 

 

Lhakpa Sherpa

When Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa set out to set an Everest speed ascent record, little did anyone know he would not only break the late Babu Chirri Sherpa’s Everest speed ascent record of 16 hrs 56, but shatter it altogether with a time of 10 hrs 56 min and 46 sec – 6 hours faster than Babu’s seemingly unbeatable record.

Lhakpa Gelu had tried earlier on the 19th for the Everest ascent record, but was delayed by the route not being fixed. No sooner than a day or two later, coming from nowhere, Pemba Dorjie took the record at 12 hrs 45 min, beating Babu’s record by an astonishing 4 hours. When Babu’s record was set in 2000 everyone thought that it would never be touched, especially since he broke the previous record by over 3 hours. Imagine what everyone thought about Pemba’s new time. At over four hours faster than Babu’s record, Pemba’s feat was likened to Roger Bannister’s sub 4-minute mile that had shocked the world in the 50’s - or so everyone thought.

Shy and reserved, Lhakpa bided his time and named May 25th as the day. Then late evening last night, the news came – 10 hrs and 56 min. How could anyone ever have though back in 1998 when Kaji Sherpa set the record at 20 hrs 24 min, that it would almost be chopped in half less than 7 years later.

With two back to back speed ascent records, the youngest ascent ever, the 13th summit by Apa Sherpa and a female’s first third consecutive, the Sherpas have stolen the Everest show in the true spirit of human achievement. The media has shown their spotlight on Hillary and Western climbers as usual. Hillary was knighted but Tenzing was not. 50 years after the first ascent, Everest is still the domain of the Sherpas.

An Everest speed ascent history

Oct 5, 1990, Marc Batard (no O2): 22 hrs 29 min
Oct 17, 1998, Kaji Sherpa (with O2): 20 hrs 24 min
May 21, 2000, Babu Chiri Sherpa (with O2): 16 hrs 56 min
May 22, 2003, Pemba Dorjie Sherpa (with O2): 12 hrs and 45 min
May 25, 2003, Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa (with O2): 10 hrs 56 min