LUZA PEAK

In 2020, the pandemic brought climbing and tourism in Nepal to a standstill. With the Khumbu unusually quiet, two fellow Sherpa climbers from Phortse and I decided to climb for a different reason. We wanted to share a simple message: Sherpas don’t only climb to help others reach summits. We climb because we love the mountains, because climbing is part of who we are. Together, we set out in winter to attempt Luza Peak, then one of Nepal’s unclimbed peaks, and completed its first winter ascent. More than reaching the summit, our purpose was to encourage a younger generation of Sherpa climbers to explore their own possibilities in the mountains, to climb for themselves, and to carry that spirit forward.

An unclimbed peak, a winter ascent, and a climb driven by our love for the mountains