A record number of climbers are gathered in Tibet to complete mountaineering’s pinnacle achievement, summiting the world’s tallest 14 peaks.
Only about 50 climbers have climbed all mountain peaks above 8,000 meters, a feat that took most years, or even decades, to complete.
About 20 are vying for the record books this month, some spurred by a blockbuster Netflix documentary giving the endeavor a wider profile.
Photo: AFP
Technological advancements have made the feat easier to accomplish.
“We are growing as a community, and we are representing mountaineering all over the world,” said Pakistani climber Shehroze Kashif, 22.
“I think that’s great... they are completing their dream, as I am.”
Photo: AFP
It took Italian climber Reinhold Messner 16 years from his initial summit to become the first person in the world considered to have climbed all 14 peaks in 1986.
But most of the climbers assembled in the Chinese Himalayas at the base camp of Mount Shisha Pangma only began their attempts within the past few years.
They have already summited the 13 other highest peaks, located in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges, straddling Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet and India.
Photo: AFP
Many have been waiting to scale the 8,027-meter-high Tibetan peak since last year, when China closed the mountain to climbers after two American women and their Nepali guides were killed in an avalanche.
‘MOUNTAINS ATTRACT THEM’
The aspirants are a mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars.
Photo: AFP
Teenage Nepali climber Nima Rinji Sherpa, 18, aims to be the youngest to climb all 14.
Several hope to be the first from their respective countries to accomplish the feat.
Advances in mountaineering technology, weather forecasting and logistical support have made this once-inaccessible goal more achievable — particularly for those who can afford it.
Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, Nepal’s biggest mountaineering expedition company, said that climbers could expect to pay up to US$700,000 for full support teams.
But he said the hefty price tag had not dissuaded a growing number of people from pursuing the endeavor.
“They climb one or two, and then the mountains attract them,” he said. “Soon they might decide to climb them all.”
Teams of support crews and helicopters for rapid transportation between base camps have allowed climbers to tackle multiple mountains in a single season.
“It is clear that the pioneers back then, they did much more difficult, dangerous and exceptional ascents,” said German mountaineering chronicler Eberhard Jurgalski.
“Now it is possible to do them within three months. The logistics are so world-class now.”
British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja famously completed the 14 peaks in just over six months in 2019, shattering the previous record of seven years.
His efforts were chronicled in a Netflix documentary, inspiring a new wave of athletes to try and eclipse his speed run.
Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her Nepali guide Tenjen Lama Sherpa — the latter who died attempting to summit Shisha Pangma last year — now hold the record.
They climbed the giant mountains in 92 days, ending in July last year. The pair also reached the “true summits” of all the mountains, which many previous climbers had missed.
This month, at least six have already completed the feat after summiting Shisha Pangma, including the first Japanese, Pakistani and female American climbers.
They also included Nirmal Purja again, who this time said he was climbing all 14 without supplementary oxygen.
‘ANOTHER CHALLENGE’
The trend towards speed has not always been welcomed by the mountaineering fraternity. Veteran climbers have criticized Purja and Harila for using helicopters, pre-prepared routes and support teams.
Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, who is aiming to become the first woman from Nepal to summit all 14 peaks, said the style of ascent dictated how much it was valued by other alpinists.
“Some... don’t have the capacity to climb without support,” she said.
But Russian climber Alina Pekova, also attempting the Tibetan summit to finish her 14-peak climb, said that speed ascents were an endurance test.
“If you can climb it a fast way, why not try?” she said. “That’s another challenge.”
Just after 6am, I walked up to the ticket gate at Taipei Main Station and entered the Taiwan Railway platform without scanning any ticket; instead, I flashed the Sanrio Fun Rail pass on my phone to the gate worker and was admitted. I found my train and prepared to board. My destination? This very same station. I was embarking on a 13-hour journey on one of two round-the-island trains operated by ezTravel. They run each day, one counterclockwise around the island and one clockwise. They differ in a number of ways from an ordinary Taiwan Railway train and can make for
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
On Thursday, former Taipei mayor and founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was sentenced to 17 years in prison and had his civil rights suspended for six years over corruption, embezzlement and other charges. Seven others related to the case were also handed prison sentences, while two were found not guilty. It has been a bad week for the TPP. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) with suspicion of taking part in Beijing-directed election interference. Xu has strong links to the TPP, which once offered her a party list legislator nomination. Tuesday also
RSS