Climbing guide Mingma Gyalje Sherpa aka Mingma G made history on Friday, becoming the first Nepali mountaineer to summit all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters without the use of supplemental oxygen, his expedition team announced.
Sherpa, who is also known as Mingma G, reached the top of Shishapangma (8,027 meters) in Tibet at around 4:06 p.m. local time, marking the completion of his extraordinary mountaineering achievement, according to Imagine Nepal Treks.
His journey to conquer the world’s highest peaks without bottled oxygen began years ago, with notable climbs such as Mt Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, and Everest in 2022. In 2021, he scaled Manaslu, and prior to that, he reached the summits of Gasherbrum-II in 2019, Lhotse and Broad Peak in 2018, K2, Makalu, and Nanga Parbat in 2017, and Annapurna in 2015.
Mingma G led a team of 11 climbers from Imagine Nepal to the summit of Shishapangma on October 4, with five of them completing all 14 peaks. He became the first Nepali to do so without supplemental oxygen.
Other notable climbers include Dr. Tracee Lee Metcalfe from the U.S., the first American to reach the true summit all 14 peaks; Naoki Ishikawa, the first Japanese climber to reach all of these summits; and Sirbaz Khan from Pakistan, who also completed his 14th peak.
Several climbers in the group approached their milestones. Dr. Sashko Kedev of Macedonia has summited 12 peaks, while Dawa Gyalje Sherpa fulfilled his goal of completing all 14. Kili Pemba Sherpa and Phur Galjen Sherpa have reached 12 and 11 summits, respectively.
Ngima Nuru Sherpa from Thame Village has now climbed nine of the 8,000-meter peaks, while Jangbu Sherpa added Shishapangma as his third. Sensai Pema Waiba, the team’s high-altitude photographer and videographer, also reached the Shishapangma summit.
Shishapangma is poised to set several more records in the coming days, as numerous climbers return following the 2023 avalanche tragedy that claimed the lives of prominent mountaineers, including Tenjen Lama Sherpa, Anna Gutu, and Gina Marie Rzucidlo.
Among those eyeing a historic feat is Nima Rinji Sherpa, who is aiming to become the youngest person to summit all 14 peaks, a title currently held by his uncle, Mingma Gyabu David Sherpa. Located in Tibet, Shishapangma is often considered easier compared to peaks in Pakistan, yet in recent years it has become increasingly deadly, with avalanches, climate change, and challenges in timely rescue efforts cited as key factors contributing to the rising toll on renowned climbers.
