For a country that worships goddesses, Nepal holds a strange contradiction. While women are celebrated in temples, many still face inequality in their daily lives. Patriarchy has trampled on their ability to climb the heights of their dreams for generations. However, with time, they have been breaking these barriers with pioneers like Junko Tabei from Japan, who became the first woman to conquer Everest in 1975.
Nearly two decades after Tabei’s groundbreaking feat and four decades after a man’s first Everest summit, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa became the first Nepali woman to reach the peak.
Born in the district of Solukhumbu on 16 December 1961, Sherpa, as a child, used to trek, following in the footsteps of her late father, Phurvakitar Sherpa. As she grew up, she owned a trekking company, which deepened her love for the mountains. She climbed several peaks both at home and abroad, including Mount Cho Oyu, Yala Peak, Pisang, and Mont Blanc.
But her eyes were set on Mount Everest. Three failed attempts and the responsibilities of raising three children did not shake her determination. Her fourth attempt, on April 22, 1993, holds a special place in history when she reached the summit of Mt. Everest.
However, on the descent, a member of her team fell seriously ill. She decided to send her other companions to fetch an oxygen cylinder and stayed behind. Everything was just about to go sideways. Suddenly, the weather took a turn for the worse. Her remaining team members could not help.
Unfortunately, she passed away on the same day as her summit. They were only able to retrieve her body once the weather improved, and she was brought back to Kathmandu. A national hero, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa’s legacy lives on as a powerful reminder of Nepali women’s potential.
Lhakpa Sherpa. Photo Credit: Lhakpa Sherpa/FacebookAmong the trailblazing Nepali women in mountaineering, Lhakpa Sherpa stands out too. She became the first Nepali woman to successfully summit and survive Everest in 2000. Born into a family of yak farmers in rural Nepal, she faced many hurdles. Denied education and job opportunities because of her gender, she moved to the US.
Now, she has climbed Everest ten times, the most by any woman in the world. Her incredible journey is the subject of the new documentary Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, directed by Lucy Walker. The documentary also serves as a platform to advocate for the Sherpa community.
Another record holder is alpinist Phunjo Jhangmu Lama, who set a new record for the fastest ascent of Everest by a woman. She scaled the world’s highest peak in 14 hours and 31 minutes on Thursday, May 23, 2024.
Born in the remote village of Chhokangpaaro in Tsum Valley in Gorkha, a district in western Nepal, Phunjo spent most of her childhood in the mountains. She used to herd yaks with her grandfather. Later, she travelled to Kathmandu for her studies.
The first Nepali woman long-line sling rescuer, trained in the Swiss Alps and the Himalayas, Phunjo is also the first woman—and a mother—to summit Everest from Tsum Valley and the Manaslu region.
These pioneering feats redefined what's possible in a male-dominated field, proving that determination can overcome cultural and physical barriers. Women have been breaking barriers in summiting Everest for many years, but there’s still a noticeable gap when comparing their achievements to those of male climbers. As of January 2024, there have been 11,996 successful summits of Everest by a total of 6,664 climbers, and only 883 of those climbers are women, just 13% of the total.
So, why aren’t there more female climbers on Everest? One major reason is the physical demands of mountaineering, which can be incredibly tough. While it’s true that the sport is physically challenging and often favours men in terms of strength, there are also deeper societal factors at play that contribute to this disparity.
Traditionally, mountaineering is seen as a male-dominated sport, and this perception has deterred many women from even considering it as a possibility. This is particularly evident in Nepal, where men from the Sherpa community typically follow in the footsteps of their ancestors to become climbing guides, while women are rarely seen in this role.
As the number of female climbers continues to grow, they are proving that mountaineering is not just reserved for men. Before 1990, fewer than 5 per cent of climbers were women. In 2024, out of 414 individuals who obtained permits to ascend Everest, 75 were women, representing over 18 per cent.
Their journeys shattered stereotypes and opened the door for more female climbers, ushering in a new era of empowerment. Recently, there has been an increase in expeditions led by women and the establishment of more supportive networks specifically for female climbers. This expanding community of women not only sets new records but also serves as a source of inspiration for others. The stories of women on Everest are not just tales of summits conquered but also of breaking glass ceilings.
From Pasang Lhamu Sherpa’s historic ascent to the record-breaking feats of Lhakpa Sherpa and Phunjo Jhangmu Lama, these women have redefined what is possible. Their achievements inspire upcoming generations to dream beyond societal constraints and challenge gender norms. The future shines brighter as more women venture into the world of high-altitude climbing. Their courage paves the way for others to ascend heights once deemed unattainable.
Pratikshya Bhatta is a junior editor with Nepal Connect.