Ukrainian Valentyn becomes season’s first non-Sherpa climber to scale Everest from Nepal side

Ukrainian climber Valentyn Sypavin, who was assisted by legendary Nepali climber Sanu Sherpa, reached the summit of Mount Everest at 4 am on Saturday, few hours after the rope fixing team laid the ropes to the summit.

May 11, 2024 | Everest Chronicle

Ukrainian climber Valentyn Sypavin reached the summit of Mount Everest for the sixth time in the early hours of Saturday, marking the first successful ascent of the world's highest peak from the southern face during the 2024 spring season by a non-Sherpa climber.

His ascent comes just a few hours after a ten-member rope-fixing team laid ropes to the summit, opening the fixed route for the climbers. Sanu Sherpa, legendary Nepali climber, leading Sypavin's expedition, also reached the summit at around 4:00 am, according to Pemba Sherpa, founder of 8K Expeditions.

Valentyn and Sanu are the only climbers to summit the peak on Saturday. The duo followed the rope fixing team to make an early ascent of the world’s highest peak. “It was Valentyn’s plan that needed an early ascent of the peak. He wants to climb Everest thrice in this season,” Pemba told Everest Chronicle.

Valentyn, 41, who has over 300 ascents worldwide, is former vice-champion of Ice Climbing World Cup. He completed the Everest and Lhotse traverse twice, in 2021 and 2023, in collaboration with 8k Expeditions, according to Pemba.

Hailing from the war-torn city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, Sypavin is a professional mountaineer and mountain guide who has scaled the highest peaks on 4 continents, including to six ascents of Everest, K2 and Lhotse.

Sanu Sherpa is the first climber to climb all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters twice. He has 40 summits of 8,000m peaks.

Related Articles

Everest local authority confronts environmental crisis in the mountain

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, the local government unit of Everest region, has brought forth a set of environmental regulations to limit the impact of expeditions on the world’s highest peak, but has retracted most of the provisions within weeks amid pressure.

Apr 06, 2024 | Everest Chronicle

Nepal makes RECCO reflector mandatory for climbers

Nepal has stepped up rescue and retrieval operations in the mountains as dead bodies pile up on crevasses and slopes raising concerns from climbers and environmentalists.

Apr 08, 2024 | Everest Chronicle

Kami Rita Sherpa aims for 29th Everest summit.

Veteran mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa wants to break his own record of highest number of summit of the world’s highest mountain by summiting Everest this spring for a record 29 time.  

Apr 17, 2024 | Everest Chronicle

Rope fixing team hopes to open route up to Everest summit by mid-May

Seven seasoned Sherpa climbers have been deployed to fix the rope to the summit of Mount Everest, which serves as a lifeline for climbers to summit and descend back safely.

Apr 26, 2024 | Everest Chronicle

Nepal government makes historic “one time” decision on Everest; Choppers to fly supplies up to camp II

Exceptional circumstances around route opening in world’s highest mountain has pushed Nepal government to take a “one time” extreme decision of allowing choppers to ferry goods up to camp II. Helicopters beyond base camp is only allowed for “search and rescue” or “emergency situation”.

Apr 26, 2024 | Dewan Rai

Nepal’s top court directs government to limit climbing permits

The Supreme Court of Nepal ordered authorities to impose a limit on the number of climbing permits in the peaks of Himalayas, urging the government to ban the use of helicopters from the base camp to the peak.

May 03, 2024 | Everest Chronicle

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.

May 03, 2024 | Everest Chronicle

Nimsdai scales Makalu as his 45th summits of eight-thousander

Nirmal Purja holds multiple records of big mountains and continues to make new ones as he himself leads expeditions of 8,000m peaks.  

May 07, 2024 | Everest Chronicle