At 5:40 a.m.听on May 16, Lhakpa Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for the ninth time. In doing so she broke the record鈥攈er own record鈥攆or the most summits of the world鈥檚 tallest peak by a woman. The next closest woman to the record is American Melissa Arnot Reid, who鈥檚 climbed Everest six times.
Lhakpa, 45, is from the Makalu region of Nepal, and now lives in Hartford, Connecticut, with her three kids. After an abusive relationship with her ex-husband, fellow Everest climber George Dijmarescu, a court granted her full custody of their two daughters (Lhakpa's son is from a different relationship and was not a part of the custody battle). She鈥檚 a single mom, and works as a dishwasher at a听Whole Foods in West Hartford. Before that she worked as a housekeeper and a cashier at a 7-Eleven.
Lhakpa lives modestly, and saves up to purchase a plane ticket back to Nepal each spring to climb Everest with her brother Mingma Gelus鈥� expedition company, Seven Summits Club. This year, Black Diamond sponsored her, providing gear and monetary support. , she wants 鈥渢o show that a woman can do men鈥檚 jobs. There is no difference in climbing a mountain. I climb for all women.鈥� 听
Lhakpa has been making quiet history for decades. In 2000, she became the first Nepali woman to climb Everest and make it down alive (Pasang Lhamu Sherpa summited in 1993, but died on the descent). Lhakpa鈥檚 proven to be a particularly strong climber, despite ostensibly climbing Mount Everest off-the-couch every year (she credits her fitness to work that keeps her on her feet all day). She grew up above 13,000 feet and started working as a porter for an outfitter when she was 15. She鈥檚 become accustomed to pushing through hard times, both emotional and physical. One year she climbed Everest just eight months after giving birth, and another when she was two months pregnant.
Lhakpa told the Associated Press that听she plans on climbing Pakistan鈥檚 K2 (28,251 feet), the world鈥檚 second tallest peak, next year. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 need to be famous,鈥� she told them. 鈥淚 want to keep doing my sport. If I don鈥檛 do my sport, I feel tired. I want to push my limits.鈥�