Yeti Group Chair Lhakpa Sonam eyes Everest ascent

In an attempt to complete the ‘real’ seven summits, senior tourism entrepreneur Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa has left for the Mt Everest region to scale the world’s highest peak this season, according to the Department of Tourism.

DoT officials said that Sherpa and team members have already obtained a climbing permit for Mt Everest. “Sherpa is now at the Everest Base Camp and doing his acclimatization rotation for the summit push,” said the official. 

Sherpa, who is also the chairman of Yeti Group, parent company of Yeti Airlines and Tara Air, aims to complete all seven summits in seven continents by attempting the world’s highest peak this season. Sherpa has already climbed Mt Aconcagua (6,962 m) in Argentina, Mt Denali (6,190 m) in North America, Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) in Africa, Mt Elbrus (5,642 m) in Europe, Puncak Jaya/ Mt Carstensz (4,884 m) in Oceania and Mt Vinson (4,892 m) in Antarctica.

Sherpa, who organised hundreds of expeditions from his company – Thamserku Trekking – in the last four decades, would probably be the first Nepali to complete all ‘real’ seven summits including the summit of Mt Carstensz if he makes it to the top of Mt Everest this season.

Other Nepali climbers who completed seven summits had not climbed Mt Carstensz as they had opted for Mt Kosciuszko in Australia. Climbing fraternity believes that the ‘real’ seven summits include Mt Carstensz rather than Mt Kosciuszko.