Nepali mountaineer Nima Gyalzen Sherpa scaled Gasherbrum I (8,080m) Thursday morning while guiding Taiwanese climber Tseng Ko-Erh aka Grace Tseng to the top. They both did the summit without supplemental oxygen, according to Dawa Sherpa, Managing Director of Dolma Outdoor, the duo’s expedition company.
With this Nima Gyalzen has completed ascent of all 14 peaks above 8000m in the world. He is the sixth Nepali climber now in the 14 peaks club counting Nirmal Purja aka Nimsdai. So far, 44 people have accomplished this feat.
Born in Rolwaling, Dolakha in 1985, he had first climbed Shishapangma in 2004 (8,000 m). He continued to lead team in various 8000ers, including Everest which he has summited 9 times.
In 2006, he had attempted to climb Everest via West Ridge and reached 8,100 m.
He also holds a Guinness world record along with his siblings for ‘the most siblings to have climbed Everest. Eight of them including Nima –Pemba Gyalzen Sherpa, late Phurba Thundu Sherpa, Pemba Dorje Sherpa, Phurba Tenzing Sherpa, Phurba Thiley Sherpa, Dawa Diki Sherpa and Nima Lhamu Sherpa– have summited Everest.
Nima Gyalzen has also attempted winter K2 with Grace Tseng last year, but were forced to retreat due to weather.
In 2011, Nepal government had Nima named Nima Gyalzen as goodwill ambassador for Nepal Tourism Year.
14 peak summit is considered an outstanding achievement in mountaineering. Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Trek is the first Nepali to complete it in 2011 while his brother Chhang Dawa Sherpa finished it in 2013.
In 2019, three Nepali climber Sanu Sherpa, Nirmal Purja and Mingma Gyabu Sherpa completed the feat. Nimsdai also set a record of the fastest 14 peaks summit during his Project Possible mission which he completed in 6 months 6 days. Nimsdai’s achievement has put the spotlight in 14 peaks summit in recent years.
Nepali mountaineer Sanu Sherpa made mountaineering history this year as he finished climbing all 14 peaks twice. He clinched this record by summitting Gasherbrum II on 21st July this year. He is the only person in the world to achieve this feat.
Another climber Chhiring Sherpa also created speed record climbing in K2 (8,611m) which he did in 12 hours 20 minute with supplemental oxygen, while Mingma Gyabu Sherpa followed close behind with summit in 14 hours 22 minutes.
For Grace, this is her 12th 8000er. With this, she has now climbed four 8000ers (K2, Broad Peak, GI and GII ) back-to-back without oxygen in 22 days, G1 and G2 within 4 days without O2 and all 5 Pakistani 8000m mountains within 42 days.
Taiwan’s Tseng Ko-Erh and Ningma Dorje Tamang also summitted G I along with Nima and Grace.