Lhakpa Sherpa facts for kids

Not to be confused with Lhakpa Sherpa (olympic medallist who died 22 June 1922 on Everest)

Lhakpa Sherpa (born in 1973) is an amazing Sherpa mountaineer from Nepal. She has reached the top of Mount Everest eleven times! This is more than any other woman in the world. Her tenth climb, which broke her own record, happened on May 12, 2022. She even raised money from many people to help pay for that trip. In 2000, she made history as the first Nepali woman to successfully climb Everest and return safely. The BBC recognized her in 2016 as one of their "100 Women" for her inspiring achievements.

Who is Lhakpa Sherpa?

Her Early Life and Home

Lhakpa Sherpa was born in a cave. She was one of eleven children. She grew up in Balakharka, a small village in the Makalu, Nepal region of the Himalayas. In her village, usually only boys went to school. Lhakpa would carry her brother for two hours to school and back each day.

Amazing Climbing Career

In 2000, Lhakpa led an expedition supported by Asian Trekking. On May 18, 2000, she became the first Nepali woman to reach the top of Mount Everest and return safely. This historic climb was part of the Nepali Women Millennium Expedition.

By 2003, she had climbed Mount Everest three times. This was more than any other woman at that point. In May 2003, she reached the summit with her sister, Ming Kipa, and her brother, Mingma Gelu.

By 2007, Lhakpa Sherpa had summited Everest six times. Her husband had also climbed it nine times. That year, they shared stories about their 2007 Everest trip. They helped raise money for a local school. Lhakpa and her husband climbed Mount Everest together five times.

In 2016, she reached the top of Mount Everest from the Tibet side (China). This was her seventh summit. Another incredible Nepali climber, Maya Sherpa, also summited that year from Nepal. Maya Sherpa has also climbed K2, another very tall mountain.

Record-Breaking Climbs

Lhakpa Sherpa successfully climbed Everest for the tenth time in 2022. This broke her own record for the most Everest summits by a woman. Her tenth summit also surpassed the nine successful climbs of her late husband, Gheorghe Dijmărescu. Netflix made a documentary about her tenth summit. It showed her journey from childhood to living in the US and her amazing climb. This documentary won a big award at the 2024 Kendal Mountain Festival's International Film Competition.

As of May 18, 2026, Lhakpa Sherpa has summited Mount Everest eleven times. She also climbed K2 in July 2023.

Other Expeditions and Awards

Here are some of Lhakpa Sherpa's climbing achievements:

• Everest Summits:
  • 2000
  • 2001
  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2016
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2022
  • 2026
• K2 Summits:
  • 2023 July 27

She also went on other expeditions:

• In 2010, she tried to climb K2. She reached Camp 3 but had to turn back because of bad weather.
• In 2015, she went on an Everest expedition. She made it to base camp in Tibet. However, she had to turn back because of big earthquakes in the Himalayas that spring.

In 2016, the BBC included her in their list of the 100 most inspiring and influential women. On April 24, 2023, Lhakpa won India's important Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award. She has also received support to climb K2.

Life Beyond the Mountains

Lhakpa is named after the day of the week she was born, which was a Wednesday.

She now lives in the U.S. with two of her siblings. Because she didn't have much formal schooling, she has worked in different jobs. These include being a housekeeper and working at places like 7-Eleven and Whole Foods Market.

In interviews, she has shared her strong desire to keep climbing mountains. She is like other famous climbers such as George Mallory and Yuichiro Miura.

She has two daughters, Sunny and Shiny, and a son, Nima.

Her Family of Climbers

Lhakpa was married to Gheorghe Dijmărescu. Her marriage ended in 2015, and she became the primary caregiver for her daughters.

Her brother, Mingma Gelu Sherpa, had climbed Mount Everest eight times by 2016.

Her younger sister, Ming Kipa, reached the top of Mount Everest on May 22, 2003. She was only 15 years old then. This made her the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest at that time.

Their climb in 2003 was special. It was the first time three siblings reached the summit together. This achievement was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Lhakpa in the Media

Lhakpa Sherpa is the main subject of a 2024 documentary. It is called Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa and was directed by Lucy Walker.

See Also

• Apa Sherpa
• Chhurim
• Lakpa Gelu
• List of Mount Everest records
• List of Mount Everest summiteers by frequency
• Shriya Shah-Klorfine (Canadian woman who died on descent of Everest)
• List of 20th-century summiteers of Mount Everest