[1.5] 12 About 12: Lhakpa Sherpa
Crowdfunding a 10th Everest summit, raising 3 kids as a single mother, and living paycheck to paycheck
Hi!
This โ12 about 12โ series is simply 12 facts about 12 people who have managed to make a life of travel. Each story is broken down into four parts:
Origin: how did they start traveling?
Grind: what did they sacrifice?
Breakthrough: when did they go big?
Scale: what are they making of it now?
At the end of each email, I compress my takeaways from the traveler into one thing to remember.
Have an amazing week!
~ Atom
#5
Introducing Napalese mountain climber, Lhakpa Sherpa. ๐ณ๐ต๐ณ๐ต๐ณ๐ต
I discovered Lhakpa Sherpa when I Googled โmost notable travelers.โ Given her low-key media profile and humble life, the only other way you would have found her is if you searched โwoman with the most Everest summitsโ or โfirst woman to successfully summit Mt Everest.โ
Origins
Lhakpa was born in a cave in the region of Makalu, Nepal. It was around 1974, the exact date unknown.
At around the age of 15, Lhakpa began delivering supplies to base camps as a porter, despite it being taboo for girls at the time. To make a point, her mom and fellow villagers warned her that she would never get married, that it was a manโs job, and that she would die if she tried.
Against all wishes, Lhakpa continued climbing and in 2000 became the first woman to successfully summit Mt. Everest and survive.
Between 2001 and 2005, she summited another 5 times, including one climb just 8 months after giving birth to her first daughter. It was during this period too that she met and married her husband, George Dijmarescu.
Grind
Shortly after her 6th climb, she moved with her husband to the United States where she worked numerous jobs for a minimum wage, including taking care of the elderly, house cleaning, and dishwashing. Despite her achievements, Lhakpa never received media attention or sponsorships.
In 2008, her husband was diagnosed with cancer, and by 2012, the family was on food stamps.
Throughout this period, Goerge was known to be violent with Lhakpa. It was not until after several physical attacks, hospitalizations, and a stay at a shelter that the couple divorced in 2015.
Breakthrough
In 2016, Lhakpa found the ground to return to Nepal and summit Everest for a record 7th time.
She was awarded as one of BBCโs 100 Women for 2016.
Scale
Lhakpa summited an 8th time in 2017 before finding a one-time sponsor in Black Diamond for her 9th climb in 2018.
She attempted her 10th climb in 2020 but arrived in Nepal just as COVID-19 hit. With the help of crowdfunding, she returned only in May earlier this year to complete her dream 10th summit. Once again, Lhakpa Sherpa broke her own record as the woman with the most successful summits at Everest.
Yet, she continues to live paycheck to paycheck. She may have more media attention but this hasnโt converted into any monetary gains. Lhakpa lives in Connecticut, where she continues to work at the local Whole Foods. Her next goal is a crowdfunded summit of K2.
THE ONE THING
All that matters is to follow whatโs in your heart, to be your own leader.
โI felt like I'd reached my dream when I reached Everest's summit for the first time. I thought to myself, 'No more just being a housewife!โ I felt like I'd changed Sherpa culture and the status of both Sherpa and Nepali women. I enjoyed being outside of my home and I wanted to share that feeling with all women."
โ Lhakpa Sherpa
It was difficult for me to break down Lhakpa Sherpaโs story because in conventional terms of success she has yet to reach her breakthrough. Despite having summited Everest 10 times to hold the record for most successful summits by a woman, she continues to work minimum-wage jobs to live paycheck to paycheck.
But I had to remind myself this is not a newsletter about making money; itโs a newsletter about travel.
So to me, success was reached when Lhakpa brought herself back to Everest despite economic and personal difficulties. It may not be within the appetite of most to quit their jobs, leave their family, and return with an uncertainty of income, but the lesson here is to never forget whatโs in your heart.
Sources:
She climbed Everest nine times and set a world record โ so why doesnโt she have sponsors? by The Guardian
Sheโs a single mother who works shifts at Whole Foods โ and just climbed Everest for the 10th time by The Guardian
Lhakpa Sherpa: What Iโve Learned by Climbing.com
Lhakpa Sherpa Summits Everest for the Tenth Time by Outside
Lhakpa Sherpa: Woman climbs Everest for record tenth time by Saudi Gazette