Nima Rinji world’s youngest to summit all 8,000m peaks

Sangam Prasain / Eighteen-year-old Nima Rinji Sherpa reached the summit of Mt Shishapangma (8,027 metres) in Tibet, China, on Wednesday morning, thus becoming the youngest person in the world to summit all 14 of the planet’s 8,000-metre peaks.

“Nima reached the summit at 6:05 am [local time in Tibet],” said Bikram Karki, Nima’s spokesperson.

With this feat, Nima has overtaken his uncle, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, for the world record. Until Tuesday, Mingma Gyabu held the record for being the youngest to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres, which he achieved in 2019 at the age of 30.

“Congratulations, Nima! Your journey continues to inspire us all,” his father, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, managing director of Seven Summit Treks, Nepal’s largest expedition company, wrote on his Facebook page.

Nima’s father holds the record for climbing Everest, the world’s highest peak, without bottled oxygen at the age of 19, becoming the youngest climber to do so.

Nima started climbing at 16 and debuted on September 30, 2022, with Mt Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world at 8,163 metres, after passing his class 10 examination.

Over two years, he has broken multiple world records and become the youngest to summit several of these formidable mountains. In 2023, at the age of 17, he accomplished a remarkable feat by climbing nine peaks above 8,000 metres in just a single year.

His final conquest was Shishapangma in China. “He did that on Wednesday,” said Karki. “This marks the completion of his extraordinary journey.”

Nima’s historic accomplishment is part of his larger vision for the “SherpaPower” initiative, which aims to reshape the global perception of Sherpas.

In his message, Nima shares, “Sherpas are not just mountain guides but elite athletes and adventurers capable of creating unique paths on the world stage.”

“Today, as I stand atop my 14th 8,000-metre peak, I dedicate this world record to my parents, especially my Father, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa and my mother, Leema Sherpa, and my project, #SherpaPower,” Nima said in a statement issued on Wednesday following his historic feat.

“This summit is not just the culmination of my journey but a tribute to every Sherpa who has dared to dream beyond the traditional boundaries set for us. Mountaineering is more than labour; it is a testament to our strength, resilience, and passion.”

“Through #SherpaPower, I want to show the younger generation of Sherpas that they can rise above the stereotype of being only support climbers and embrace their potential as top-tier athletes, adventurers, and creators. We are not just guides; we are trailblazers. Let this be a call to every Sherpa to see the dignity in our work, the power in our heritage, and the limitless possibilities in our future.”

On October 16, 1986, Italian Reinhold Messner became the first to climb all 14 eight-thousanders without using supplementary oxygen. Courtesy: The Kathmandu Post online