Lhakpa Sherpa scales Everest for record 11th time
“Mountain Queen” extends record for most Everest summits by a woman after reaching peak on Sunday morning
Nepali climber Lhakpa Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record 11th time on Sunday, extending her lead as the woman with the most ascents of the world’s highest peak.
The 52-year-old summited the 8,848.86-metre mountain at 9:30 a.m. local time after making her final push from Camp IV overnight, according to the Department of Tourism.
Born in the Makalu region of eastern Nepal’s Sankhuwasabha district, Lhakpa first climbed Everest in 2000 and has since repeatedly returned to the mountain, setting the women’s record for Everest summits.
Her mountaineering career was featured in the 2023 documentary Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, directed by Lucy Walker, which chronicled her first 10 successful Everest ascents and helped popularise her nickname, “Mountain Queen”.
Lhakpa reached the summit while guiding a client during the spring climbing season on Everest.
In 2023, she also summited K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.
Lhakpa has said she climbs to inspire women and young people and to demonstrate the resilience and determination of Nepali women.
She lives in Connecticut in the United States.