Record-Setting Mount Everest Ascent
Ever since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa successfully summited Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, more than 3,100 climbers have also conquered the world’s highest mountain, while an estimated 220 have died trying. Certainly it is a daunting task, only undertaken by the most intrepid adventurers, which makes the achievement of Chhurim Sherpa all the more remarkable. On May 12, 2012, the 29-year-old Nepali reached the 8,848-meter peak, returned to the base camp to rest, and then summited the formidable mountain a second time just a week later – becoming the first woman to conquer Mount Everest twice in one season.
Known simply as Chhurim, the Nepalese climber was presented with a Guinness World Record certificate in honor of her achievement at a ceremony in Kathmandu on February 25, 2013. Chhurim noted that she was happy for the recognition, telling of her determination that the record should be set by a Nepalese woman, and commenting that she was proud to be the one to have set it.
As climbers who have made the ascent know, there are a host of difficulties to overcome, such as frostbite and altitude sickness, but when asked what her greatest challenge was in the climb, Chhurim reportedly commented on the difficulties of five people having to share a tent, and the lack of toilet facilities.
Climbing Mount Everest is a highly risky pastime and best undertaken from late April through to May, before the summer monsoon season. There are two main routes that climbers can use – the southeast ridge from Nepal, and the north ridge from Tibet. Everest expeditions in Nepal usually start with a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, then trekking through Namche Bazaar to reach the Everest Base Camp. It is during this trek that climbers will acclimatize to the altitude and thereby avoid altitude sickness. Climbing Mount Everest calls for strength and endurance – doing it twice in a little more than a week is certainly worthy of recognition.
