Phunjo Lama back in Everest to reclaim fastest female ascent speed record
This spring, Lama has returned to Mount Everest, aiming to surpass current record with an even quicker ascent.
In 2018, Nepali mountaineer Phunjo Jhangmu Lama made a name for herself with the fastest ascent of Mount Everest from the Nepal side by a female, summiting the peak in 39 hours and 6 minutes. However, the record couldn't last long. In May 2021, Ada Tsang Yin-hung of Hong Kong broke it, completing her climb 14 hours faster.
Lama, who is a guide and a long-line sling rescuer, is currently at the base camp preparing to attempt a climb of the mountain with a new record in mind, according to Gobinda Gurung, Managing Director of her expedition organizer Tag Nepal.
Lama, who grew up in Tsum valley in the mountainous district of Gorkha in north west of Kathmandu, has climbed several peaks including Manaslu, Amdablam, Lobuche, Denali, Mount Everest, and Mount Cho Oyu besides Mount Everest.
Tsang Yin-hung, a schoolteacher from Hong Kong, climbed the Everest in 25 hours and 50 minutes, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The record for the fastest ascent is held by Sherpa guide Lakpa Gelu, who climbed the peak in 10 hours and 56 minutes.
The 2024 Everest spring expedition could also see other potential records, including the possibility of a new record by the renowned guide Kami Rita, who has climbed Everest 28 times. Pasang Dawa Sherpa, who trails Kami Rita with 27 ascents, also has a chance to surpass this record. As of May 3, a total of 403 climbers (excluding Nepali guides) have obtained permits to climb Everest, according to the Department of Tourism.
