Nepali teenager hailed as hero after climbing world’s 8,000-metre peaks

Cheering crowds hailed an 18-year-old Nepali mountaineer arsenic a leader arsenic helium returned location connected Monday aft helium broke the grounds to go the youngest idiosyncratic to acme each 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre (26,500-foot) peaks.

Nima Rinji Sherpa reached the acme of Tibet’s 8,027-metre (26,335-foot) Shishapangma connected October 9, completing his ngo to basal connected the world’s highest peaks.

On Monday, helium returned from China to Nepal’s superior Kathmandu, wherever scores of radical waited to spot him.

“I americium feeling precise happy,” said the young mountaineer, draped successful accepted Buddhist scarves and garlands of marigold flowers, arsenic helium emerged to large cheers astatine the airport.

“Thank you truthful much, everyone,” helium said to his supporters, beaming a wide grin.

Sherpa hugged his household portion others rushed to connection him scarves and flowers. He aboriginal waved to the assemblage retired of a car sunroof, portion proudly holding the nationalist flag.

Nepal’s climbing assemblage besides welcomed respective others who returned aft completing the acme of 14 peaks.

Summiting each 14 “eight-thousanders” is considered the highest of mountaineering aspirations, with each the peaks located successful the Himalayan and neighbouring Karakoram ranges, straddling Nepal, China, Pakistan, Tibet and India.

Climbers transverse “death zones” wherever determination is not capable oxygen successful the aerial to prolong quality beingness for agelong periods.

Italian climber Reinhold Messner archetypal completed the feat successful 1986, and lone astir 50 others person successfully followed successful his footsteps.

Many elite climbers person died successful the pursuit.

In the past fewer years, mountaineers person been expected to scope the “true summit” of each mountain, which galore climbers of the erstwhile procreation had missed.

Sherpa is nary alien to the mountains, hailing from a household of record-holding climbers, who besides present tally Nepal’s largest mountaineering expedition company.

Raised successful bustling Kathmandu, Sherpa initially preferred to play shot oregon sprout videos.

But 2 years ago, helium enactment his camera down to prosecute mountaineering.

Sherpa, who already holds aggregate records from his ascents of dozens of peaks, started high-altitude climbing astatine the property of 16, by climbing Mount Manaslu successful August 2022.

Nepali climbers – usually taste Sherpas from the valleys astir Everest – are considered the backbone of the climbing manufacture successful the Himalayas.

They transportation the bulk of instrumentality and food, fixing ropes and repairing ladders.

Long successful the shadows arsenic supporters of overseas climbers, they are dilatory being recognised successful their ain right.

“I privation to amusement the younger procreation of Sherpas that they tin emergence supra the stereotype of being lone enactment climbers and clasp their imaginable arsenic top-tier athletes, adventurers, and creators,” Sherpa said successful a connection soon aft his last summit.

“We are not conscionable guides. We are trailblazers.”

In caller years, climbers similar Sherpa person acceptable grounds aft record, and are hopeful their feats volition animate the adjacent procreation of Nepali mountaineers.

The grounds was antecedently held by different Nepali climber, Mingma Gyabu “David” Sherpa. He achieved it successful 2019, astatine the property of 30.