Meet Lhakpa Sherpa: The 'Mountain Queen' who climbed Mount Everest 11 times; says she wants to climb 'until I'm 80'

Lhakpa Sherpa, the ‘Mountain Queen,’ holds a marvellous record for most Mount Everest summits by a woman. After a record-breaking ascent to the mountain for the 11th time, the Nepalese mountaineer proudly stated that she will continue to climb until she turns 80.

Beyond her personal struggles, she fearlessly scaled the world’s tallest mountain.Here’s a closer look at the historic triumph by Lhakpa Sherpa after climbing Mount Everest for the 11th time.

Lhakpa Sherpa wants to climb Mount Everest till she is 80

In a world where women were made to stay at home and perform chores from childhood, Sherpa taught herself mountaineering. “I went to [Mount] Everest even when I was pregnant,” she said in a BBC interview, before continuing, “Then I took on the role of a mother for a long time.

Otherwise, I would have reached the top of Everest 30 times. “I took a break from climbing Everest for almost 15 years,” Sherpa added. However, she got back to her roots and climbed for the 10th time on Everest in 2022. “Even [in between trips] to climb Everest, I was washing dishes, cleaning houses in the US, and I took on any work that came along. Some people may think, ‘Oh, I’ve climbed Everest two or three times and won’t do the dishes.’

I don’t care about such things,” Sherpa spoke about her life experiences.

When her daughters asked about the time she would end her journey to climb Mount Everest, Sherpa promptly said, “If I’m healthy, I want to climb Everest until I’m 80.”

About Lhakpa Sherpa

Beginning her life in a village more than 13,000ft above sea level in the Makalu region of eastern Nepal, Lhakpa Sherpa is a member of the Sherpa ethnic group, descended from nomadic Tibetans, adapted to living in hostile high altitudes, per the aforementioned outlet. “I was born in a cave,” she said to the outlet, before adding, “I don't even know my date of birth.”⁣ Recalling her childhood, Sherpa revealed that she used to carry her brothers to school and walk for hours. However, she used to be turned away by the authorities, as women were not allowed in schools. After learning technical skills during the devastating time in society, she became the first woman to climb Mount Everest three times in 2003, and continues to be an inspiration with her grit and determination.