Pasang Lhamu Sherpa

The first Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest, pioneering women's participation in mountaineering.

Pasang Lhamu Sherpa was a Nepali mountaineer and the first Nepali woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Born in 1960 in Solukhumbu District, Nepal, she defied cultural norms that limited women’s participation in climbing. As a member of the Sherpa community, she grew up in a region surrounded by Himalayan peaks but faced societal barriers due to gender roles. Her passion for climbing began at a young age, and she trained rigorously, working as a guide and porter to fund her expeditions.

In 1993, Pasang Lhamu joined a Japanese-Nepali expedition to Everest. Despite severe weather conditions, she reached the summit on May 23, 1993, becoming Nepal’s first female Everest summitee. Her achievement was celebrated as a milestone for women in mountaineering, challenging stereotypes about women’s capabilities in high-altitude environments. Tragically, she died during the descent, but her legacy endures. The Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Foundation, established posthumously, supports women’s education and mountaineering in Nepal.

Her story inspired a generation of female climbers, including her daughter, Nima Lhamu Sherpa, who also summited Everest in 2013. Pasang Lhamu’s courage is commemorated in Nepal’s national calendar, and her name is synonymous with female empowerment. Her life is chronicled in the 2015 documentary Pasang Lhamu: The First Nepali Woman on Everest, which highlights her struggle and sacrifice.