Nepal's Sherpas deserve more, says teenager who scaled world's 14 tallest peaks

By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A Nepali teenager, the youngest person ever to scale all 14 of the world’s tallest peaks, says he wants to use his skills to benefit the Himalayan nation’s Sherpa community and turn out world-class athletes.

Sherpas, an ethnic group living mainly in the vicinity of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, are known for climbing skills that make them the backbone of mountain expeditions.

They fix ropes, ladders, carry loads, cook and guide foreign climbers, earning from a single expedition amounts that range from $2,500 to $16,500 or more, depending on experience.

"I want to see Sherpas as global athletes, not just guides," said Nima Rinji Sherpa, 18, who last week climbed Shishapangma, the world’s 14th highest peak at 8,027 m (26,335 ft), in Tibet.

"We deserve the same privilege as Western climbers," added the 12th grader, who began climbing at the age of 16, and scaled all 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 ft (2,438 m) in the last two years.

He said he planned to exploit his climbing skills to build contacts with donor agencies, mobilising funds and support for schools, hospitals and activities to benefit the mountain community.

"I want to be a medium between the community and donor agencies," Nima said on Wednesday, the lower portion of his face still black from burns caused by the sun's reflections off the snow during his climb.

The son of a veteran Everest climber who now runs his own company organising expeditions, Nima bested the record of Mingma Gyalu Sherpa of Nepal, who was 30 when he achieved the feat in 2019.

His most demanding effort was the 8,034-m (26,358-ft) climb of Pakistan's Gasherbrum II last year directly after having scaled Gasherbrum I, the world's 11th highest peak at 8,080 m (26,510 ft), in 25 hours without proper rest and food, he said.

Nima said muscle cramps were his biggest physical challenge as his "fragile" teenage body had not finished growing, adding, "I am not as strong as I should be."

He was caught in a small avalanche on Nepal's Annapurna I peak this year after a fall of about 5 m to 10 m (16 ft to 32 feet) on Pakistan's Nanga Parbat last year, but luckily escaped serious injury both times.

"I never push myself beyond my bounds," he said. "There is (the need for) good judgment. There is (the need for) safety."

This winter, Nima aims for an alpine-style climb of Nepal's Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth highest peak at 8,163 m (26,781 ft).

An 8,000-m mountain has never been climbed in winter in alpine style, he said, referring to the technique in which climbers tackle the summit in one go, without oxygen and relying chiefly on themselves, with minimum support.

(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Clarence Fernandez)