Nepali mountaineer becomes first to climb world's 8,000m peaks twice
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Nepali mountaineer Sanu Sherpa completes his quest to stand on the world's highest peaks twice.
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Sanu Sherpa
A Nepali mountaineer became Thursday the first person to complete double summits of all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks, expedition organizers confirmed.
Sanu Sherpa, 47, reached the summit of Pakistan's Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters) on Thursday morning, leading a Japanese client, completing his quest to stand on the world's highest peaks twice.
"This is a proud moment for us. Sanu Sherpa has made history in the mountaineering world by climbing all the 14 peaks not once, but twice," expedition organizer Pasang Sherpa of Pioneer Adventure told AFP.
HISTORIC: Nepali climber Sanu Sherpa becomes the first person to complete double ascent of all 14 peaks above 8000m creating mountaineering history.
— Everest Chronicle (@EverestChron) July 21, 2022
He just summited Gasherbrum II in Pakistan this morning at 8.18am local time sealing this historic feat. pic.twitter.com/X23xFYef5Q
Sherpa, who began working in mountaineering as a porter, climbed his first 8,000-meter mountain in 2006, guiding foreign climbers to the summit of Cho Oyu.
By 2019, he had summited all 14 8,000-meter peaks at least once - one of around 40 people to do so.
"I need one more summit to achieve my goal," Sherpa wrote on Facebook in June before heading to Pakistan.
"With the warm wishes of my friends and god’s blessings, I’ve gained extra strength so, I’ll try to climb Mt. GII - 8,035m."
Sherpa has reached the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) top of Mount Everest seven times, and three times summited Lhotse and the challenging Manaslu.
Nepali guides are considered the backbone of the climbing industry in the Himalayas, carrying the majority of equipment and food, fixing ropes, and repairing ladders.
Last year, a team of Nepali climbers made the first winter ascent of K2, the world's second-highest peak - the notoriously challenging 8,611-meter (28,251-feet) "savage mountain" of Pakistan.
