Tenzing Norgay Sherpa Open Lead Climbing Competition concludes in Kathmandu
Ronak Upreti and Swastika Chaudhary win men’s and women’s titles as 12 finalists compete in third edition of lead climbing event
The third edition of the Tenzing Norgay Sherpa Open Lead Climbing Competition concluded in Kathmandu on Friday, bringing together Nepalese and international climbers under one roof in a sport still gaining ground in the country’s competitive scene.
Organised jointly by the Nepal National Mountain Guides Association (NNMGA) and the US Nepal Climbers Association Inc., the event featured both men’s and women’s categories, with 12 finalists—six in each—advancing to the final round. One foreign climber reached the men’s final.
In the men’s competition, Ronak Upreti took first place, followed by Mirko Leros, a foreign participant, in second, and Tenzing Bertin Rai in third. In the women’s category, Swastika Chaudhary secured first place, with Yankeela Sherpa second and Panchamaya Tamang third.
Winners in both categories received cash prizes of Rs 50,000 for first place, Rs 30,000 for second, and Rs 20,000 for third.
The final event drew a cluster of prominent figures from Nepal’s mountaineering and tourism establishment. Among them were Mingma Gyalbu Sherpa, a Member of Parliament, as chief guest, and Jamling Tenzing Norgay, son of Tenzing Norgay, as a special guest. Officials from the Department of Tourism, the Nepal Mountaineering Association and climbing sports bodies were also in attendance.
For a sport that still sits at the intersection of recreation, training and elite ambition, the competition underscored both its growing institutional support and its limited but widening international participation.
