Nepalese woman sets new Mt. Everest record

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A Nepalese climber was confirmed today as the first woman to scale Mount Everest twice in a single season.

Chhurim Sherpa, 29, reached the 29,028-feet peak on May 12 last year before returning to base camp for a break and then repeating the climb a week later. “I am very happy for this recognition. I was determined that the record should be held by a Nepali woman and I’m proud to be one,” said Sherpa. Another Sherpa, Pasang Lhamu, died on her descent after becoming the first Nepali woman to reach the summit in 1993. Her feat was followed by 21 Nepali women but no female climber in the world had ever managed two ascents in one season before Chhurim Sherpa.

Around 3,000 people have made it to the top of Mount Everest since the first complete climb in 1953. The summit season on Everest begins in late April when a small window between spring and the summer monsoon offers the best conditions. The climb is so dangerous that more than 200 frozen bodies line the slopes, perfectly preserved in the spots where they died trying to conquer the mountain.