Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita: The First Female Nepali Mountaineering Guide

Born in 1984, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita is a mountaineer who is of Nepali Sherpa descent. Becoming the first woman in Nepal to become a mountaineering teacher, becoming one of the first Nepali women to reach the summit of K2, and being involved in earthquake relief efforts in Nepal are all accomplishments that she has accomplished. She was honored with the 45th International Alpine Solidarity Award in Pinzolo, Italy, in addition to being awarded the People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic in the year 2016.

Climbs:

In 2006, Akita became the first woman to climb Nangpai Gosum II.
Climbed Mount Everest in 2007, following the footsteps of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, who was the first Nepali woman to summit Everest but tragically died during the descent.
Successfully summited K2 in 2014 as part of a pioneering three-woman team, marking the first Nepali female team to conquer the mountain. Climbing alongside Akita were Maya Sherpa and Dawa Yangzum Sherpa. The expedition aimed to raise awareness about climate change and coincided with the 60th anniversary of K2’s first ascent.

Other climbs include Yala Peak, Ama Dablam, Lobuche, Imja Tse, and Aconcagua. Additionally, she has guided mountaineering expeditions in various countries such as the USA, Argentina, France, and Pakistan.

Activism:

Joined the Nomads Clinic in 2013, a medical service catering to remote Himalayan regions.
After the April 2015 Nepal earthquake, participated in relief efforts by distributing blankets, assisting in shelter construction, organizing medical facilities, coordinating relief convoys, and preventing trafficking of victims.
Engaged in developing a foundation to support women’s education in Nepal.

As the first female Nepali climbing guide, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita was a pioneer in the field. In addition to climbing Everest, Ama Dablam, and Lobuche, she was a member of the first Nepali women’s team to reach the summit of K2, a peak that is responsible for the deaths of one in every four people who attempt to climb it. “her great generosity, spirit of sacrifice, and expert capability with which she rescued and helped her people during the tragic earthquake in 2015,” she was recognized for in 2016, when she was presented with the 45th International Alpine Solidarity Award. This award is given to individuals who have distinguished themselves for bravery, solidarity, and altruism in mountainous regions. Additionally, Pasang was honored with the title of People’s Choice Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic in the year 2016.

Although Pasang spent his childhood in Lukla, Nepal, he completed his secondary education in Kathmandu. They were left without a mother when their mother passed away, and when she was 15 years old, she and her sister moved to a new location. The beginning of Pasang’s climbing training took place in Kathmandu. She eventually joined at the Khumbu Climbing School after a period of four years. Following that, she attended the École Nationale du Ski et de l’Alpinisme in Chamonix, France, where she received a diploma in mountaineering on her graduation.

It is a mere coincidence that my name is the same as that of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, who was the first Nepali woman to successfully climb Mount Everest. Due to the fact that I am a Buddhist, my parents took me to the lama when I was born in order to receive a name. Being born on a Friday, my first name is Pasang. I was born on Friday. She is referred to as Lhamu. My family name is Sherpa. After that, when I married my husband, I adopted a second surname (Akita) that was passed down to me from him.

Lukla is where I spent my childhood. While I was walking to school every day, which took me about half an hour each way, I noticed that a lot of people were arriving to climb mountains and go on treks. I had the desire to be like these individuals. There are a lot of Sherpas who climb mountains. However, the majority of Sherpa mountaineers are male.

Most Sherpa don’t support the idea of women climbing in the Himalayas–they think it’s a male job and too dangerous for women.

Nevertheless, I had always seen myself as a climber and a guide. Mountains are fantastic to me. I spent my childhood in the mountains and surrounded by nature.

At the Khumbu Mountaineering School, I began my mountaineering training after graduating from high school and continued my education there. I trained there, but I didn’t see many other ladies training, and I didn’t see any other women working in the mountains. I was the only one who did. On the other hand, I was aware that I wanted to work in the mountaineering industry as a guide. It is the mountains that make me feel the most at ease; they are my home.

Getting a job was really hard.

There is a common misconception that women are not physically capable of mountaineering because of its strenuous nature. On expeditions, it was difficult to get a spot. A Spanish couple who were looking for a trekking guide in Khumbu was the next people I encountered. They made me an offer of employment and paid me quite well. I am from the province of Khumbu. So in 2006, I embarked on a journey to reach a mountain that had not yet been climbed. There, I made the acquaintance of a Japanese man who invited me to join him on his expedition to Everest in the year 2007. Following that, I traveled to the United States and worked as a guide for Alpine International on Mount Rainier.

In the United States, I experienced a greater sense of encouragement. My experience of working in a culture that was so different from my own was a little bit challenging for me. On the other hand, there are a significant number of women in the United States who are employed in outside jobs. I have a greater sense of liberty here. While you are in Nepal, people talk about you since you are in the mountains surrounded by all guys. Your role is not that of a mere guide; rather, you are a female guide. Women and male guides do not receive the same amount of compensation.

There is no discrimination against women in the mountains of the United States.

What I hope to accomplish by working as a guide is to demonstrate that women are also capable of working in mountainous areas, that mountain guiding can also be a job for women, and that the mountains are accessible to all people.

Culturally, in Nepal, women are encouraged to be home.

At a young age, women are expected to get into marriage and then devote their lives to the care of their families and children. The expectation is that a woman will be a good wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law. Other expectations include being a decent daughter. When we are at work, we are urged to accomplish tasks that take place inside, such as becoming a teacher or a nurse.

Many male mountaineers are of a large and powerful build. However, women possess additional qualities that are advantageous while they are on an excursion. The character of women is typically one of love and concern for others. For women, the impulse to nurture is innate. When you are a guide, your job entails not only escorting clients into the mountains but also ensuring that they return home without incident. In order to assist clients, even male clients, in accomplishing their objectives, women employ their more gentle and feminine attitude.

Travelling gives me life.

There are a lot of things that I pick up on each journey. It is only when you travel to different places and experience new ways of life that you become aware of how content and at ease you already are. Your troubles will be resolved. The more you remain in the same location, the more you will always desire more, and you will never be content with what you have. Whenever I was a child in Nepal, I would always lament that women are always falling behind and that they are never treated fairly. After that, I went to Pakistan and climbed K2, where I noticed that women are not permitted to be in photographs or to stroll by themselves. This brought me to the realization that Nepal is a much more favourable country for women than Pakistan is.

I am 34 years old. I have one spouse. My son is two months old at the moment. What I can tell him is that he should go after his dreams and accomplish what he truly desires to achieve. This is the one thing I can teach him. Always and forever, I will encourage him to pay attention to his heart. In Nepal, I will spend the most of my time raising him. I will be guiding more hiking this year, but I will not be climbing, so that I may bring him along with me.

We transported a significant amount of medical equipment and supplies to outlying towns in Nepal after the earthquake that occurred in 2015. Some of the most distant settlements are still living beneath tarps, despite the fact that the majority of those communities have been rebuilt. In addition to providing assistance to Burmese refugees in Kathmandu, I continue to deliver medicine to elderly people living in remote locations.

When I look back, I am pleased that I made the decision to live in the mountains and that the mountains came to welcome me. It makes me pleased to know that I can serve as a model for younger women in Nepal. For the time being, I do not have a significant objective to climb this or that. Making it possible for Nepali girls to receive an education is what I wish to achieve.

As a child, I had a lot of good fortune. Although both of my parents had passed away by the time I was 15 years old, I was still able to continue my education. In order to come to this point in my life, I received a fundamental education. A significant number of Nepalese women are unable to obtain even the most fundamental schooling. Their parents are not able to afford it. There is a scholarship program that I intend to establish for those living in rural areas. I do not want to remove young women from their villages because I believe it is essential for them to learn about their culture and to be a part of the life of the village.

But only with education can a girl make her life better; you need an education to change your life.

The purpose of my education is not to prepare young women to become mountaineers. After obtaining an education, a woman is free to pursue whatever career path she desires. To be a supporter of what women aspire to become is my goal.

Those ladies who choose to remain at home and take care of their families have my utmost respect. Mountain climbing is a selfish activity since I always think about myself. However, in order to be at home and take care of their children, other women gave up their aspiration. The act is unselfish.

As a mountaineering guide, I was frequently asked, “When do you become a mother?” People would ask me this question regularly. The phrase “you have been married for five, six, or seven years now, it is time to get settled down” was something that they would share with me.

Whether or whether I wanted to have a child was a question that I had to ask myself for a very long time. The question “Should I, shouldn’t I, what will happen with my career, will I be able to climb mountains with a baby?” was one that I used to ask myself on a regular basis. It was not something I had planned to do, but I ended up having a child. Furthermore, it is an unparalleled adventure.

Yes, I climbed K2, and Mount Everest and many other big mountains.

On the other hand, being a mother is truly my greatest achievement. When you begin climbing a mountain, you are aware that it will be challenging and that it will be filled with opportunities for danger. However, once you reach the pinnacle, you forget about all the hard work you put in. The process of having a child is a unique adventure, but it is also comparable. Seeing the baby’s face is enough to make you forget about the difficulty. There is something very remarkable and unique about this moment. In spite of the fact that it has just been two months, I am having a great time.

In 2016, Akita received The George Mallory Award at the Wasatch Mountain Film Festival.