Maya Sherpa, three-time Everest climber from Nepal sets eye on Kanchenjunga

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“Although initially I started as a trekking guide, later on I got the opportunity to participate in some mountaineering expeditions. When I succeeded in completing the peak Mt Ama Dablam in 2003, I got the confidence of pursuing it further,” says Sherpa, who was in the city for the inauguration of a trekking and mountaineering store. She has done basic and advanced climbing training courses organised by Nepalese Mountaineering Association (NMA). Interestingly, she has also dabbled in weightlifting in the past and has bagged gold medal in Nepal National Weightlifting Games in 2003.

Talking about her first successful climb – Mt Ama Dablam – Sherpa says, “The summit was quite difficult and required technical expertise. At that time I did not have any equipments and climbing tools too. I had to borrow old equipments from friends and other climbers. However, despite all this, when I managed to do it and was later felicitated for my accomplishment in Kathmandu, I was filled with confidence that I can try other peaks too.”

Among the peaks that she has climbed so far, the mountaineer says that K2 – also known Mount Godwin-Austen or Chhogori – was the most challenging. K2 is the second highest mountain in the world and comes with unpredictable weather, she says. “When we started, it was quite hot – 45 degrees celsius – later it became colder. What made it further difficult to climb was that ice was melting very fast, resulting in rocks falling as well as avalanches,” recollects Sherpa, who completed the climb in 50 days in 2014.

She admits that unlike India where the number of women taking up trekking and mountaineering are increasing at an impressive rate, in Nepal, it isn’t the same. She is unsure if it is lack of interest or simply fear of the mountains. Though Sherpa’s parents and her husband, who is also a climber, support her a lot in her adventurous endeavour, she admits that there are times when people discourage her family. “Although people of my village and district are proud of my achievement, given the risk involved, they are scared for my life and say that ‘one can’t be lucky all the time or what if you meet a serious accident’,” explains Sherpa, who has set her eyes on her next target – Mt Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world.

While others may think that given her age (37), Sherpa may let go off her passion for climbing sooner or later, she thinks otherwise, “One’s age doesn’t matter. Infact, the more experienced you are in climbing, the more easier it gets for you.”