Nima Rinji Sherpa : The extraordinary journey of a record-breaking teenage mountaineer

By Pradeep Bashyal
Published in the BBC 

At just 18 years old, Nima Rinji Sherpa from Nepal has etched his name among the legends of mountaineering, breaking the record for the youngest person to conquer all 14 "eight-thousanders" - the world's tallest peaks over 8,000m high.

Nima reached the summit of Tibet's Shishapangma at 06:05 local time on 9 October, completing his ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders in 740 days and smashing the age record by some 12 years.

His latest achievement adds to his growing list of accolades. Nima is also the youngest person to summit Himalayan peaks G1 and G2, Kashmir’s Nanga Parbat, and both Mount Everest and nearby Lhotse within 10 hours.

But his early years were far-removed from the life of a traditional Sherpa, who normally act as guides for climbers scaling treacherous heights.

Mount Everest stands 8,848.86m tall, Nepal and China announces

By Pradeep Bashyal | BBC News Nepali (Read this in Hindi & Nepali)

The world’s highest peak Mount Everest is 8,848.86 meters tall, Nepal and China jointly announced on Tuesday.

The new height of the mountain at the border of two countries is 86 centimeters taller than previously accepted height of 8,848 meters. The height also includes the snow cap.

In a written message, President of Nepal Mrs. Bidhya Devi Bhandari announced: “At this historic moment, after having measured and jointly processed the survey data by the respective survey departments of our two countries, I am pleased to join your excellency [Chinese president Xi Jinping] disclose height of 8,848.86 meters as the new height of Mount Sagarmatha/ Chomolongma."

Mount Everest is called Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolongma in Tibet.

Teams of surveyors from Nepal and China separately measured the height of the Everest. Until now, China had put the height at 4m lower than globally accepted height determined by the Survey of India during British colonial rule.

The measurement of the mountain was initiated by Nepal in 2017 after the huge earthquake in 2015 that was said to have a significant impact to the top of the world.

Known as Chomolungma in Tibet, the highest mountain spreads across the two nations, but its peak lies within Nepal's territory.

Despite having several measurements in the past, this is the first time Nepal has measured the height of the Everest on its own.

Later, China initiated a similar survey and both Nepal and China had agreed to share data and key findings in a joint statement signed by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and her counterpart Xi Jinping in 2019.

A year later, the two sides made an official announcement.

KAMI RITA SHERPA: Everest through the eyes of a top Sherpa

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text: PRADEEP BASHYAL; production: CLAIRE PRESS

BBC News (Read in Chinese), To Listen: BBC Outlook 

At least 11 people have died trying to climb Mount Everest this year. Kami Rita Sherpa, who's been to the world's highest summit more times than anyone else, tells the BBC that too many climbers are led to believe Everest is easy.

Struggling for breath, she was exhausted, but she’d made it to Camp 3. At 7162m (23,500ft) it was higher than she’d ever climbed before.

But the expedition was not going to plan and her dream of scaling Everest, the world’s highest mountain peak, was slipping away.

Looking on, as this young Chinese climber tried to gather her thoughts, was the group’s leader and navigator Kami Rita Sherpa. Not just your average mountain guide, Kami Rita holds the world record for the greatest number of assents up to the top of Mount Everest by any single climber.

ओलीको चीन परीक्षा

संजीव गिरी र प्रदीप बस्याल

प्रधानमन्त्रीका रुपमा दोस्रोपटक चीन गइरहँदा केपी ओलीसामु अवसर र चुनौति एकसाथ हुनेछन् । अघिल्लोपटक उनले व्यापार तथा पारवहन सम्बन्धी १० वुंद्दे सम्झौतामा हस्ताक्षर गरेर ‘क्रान्तिकारी छलाङ’ मारेका थिए । योपटक उनीसँग अर्को हस्ताक्षरले छलाङ मार्ने सुविधा छैन । उनले सक्दो स्पष्ट भाषामा कामकै कुरा गर्नुपर्छ । त्यसो त चीनलाई पनि ओलीको सामना गर्नु पहिलेजस्तो सहज हुनेछैन ।

चीनले काम अगाडी नबढ्नुमा अहिलेसम्म बलियो सरकार सहितको नेपालको स्थिरतालाई कारण देखाउँन्थ्यो । अहिले सरकार प्रजातन्त्र पुर्नस्थापनापछिकै सबैभन्दा बलियो छ र ऊ अघिल्लाजस्तो संक्रमण व्यवस्थापनमा धेरै अल्झिनुपर्ने छैन । चीनले नेपालमा काम गर्न चाहेकै हो भने अब उसले पनि काम नै गर्नुपर्छ । दुवैपक्षसँग कुरा मात्र गर्ने वा पछाडि फर्कने सुविधा नभएको यो इतिहासको सबैभन्दा उत्कृष्ठ संयोग हो ।

भारतीय नाकाबन्दी थेगेको पहिलो कार्यकालबाट ओलीले लिएको ‘राष्ट्रवादी’ पहिचानले पछिल्लो आमनिर्वाचनमा आकर्षक नतिजा दियो । जब ओली प्रधानमन्त्रीको कुर्सीमा पुगे, उनी छिमेक मामिलामा हठात् नम्र देखिन थाले । सत्ताको बलियो पकड हुँदाहुँदै पनि ओलीले क्रमभंग गर्न चाहेनन् र पहिलो विदेश भ्रमण भारतबाटै गरे ।

खासमा ओली अघिल्लो पटक जसरी यो पटक एकविरुद्ध अर्कोको छिमेक कार्डभन्दा माथि उठेर खेल्न खोजिरहेका छन्, अर्थात् दुवैलाई नचिढ्याइकनै । उनको प्राथमिकता पनि तत्कालका लागि भारतमा रहेको परनिर्भरता चीनतर्फ बाँढ्ने मात्र छ । र, उनले बाँडेको रेल सपनासँग गएर त्यसको उत्तर जोडिन्छ ।