Confirmed: Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa Going For Mt. Rainier Speed Ascent Record On Saturday

Nepalese mega-mountaineer, Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, 13-time Mt. Everest climber and former world record holder for fastest ascent to Everest (10Hours, 56 minutes, and 46 seconds) will attempt to break the present world record for fastest ascent to Mt. Rainier on Saturday, August 16 by climbing the mountain in just four 4 hours.

The previous unofficial record is held by Justine Merle, who climbed the mountain and returned to Paradise, WA in just 4 hours, 49 minutes, and 35 seconds. Lhakpa Sherpa, who is 41 years old, will begin his journey to become the fastest human being to ever scale Mt. Rainier, which stands at 14,411 feet, at 5 AM sharp. A press conference and victory celebration is scheduled for 9 AM at Paradise, on the south slope of the mountain. Sherpa, who lives in Sandy, Utah with his wife and three children, is a Goodwill Ambassador to MorePeace Corps, an effort to double the Peace Corps.

Asked why he is doing this, a soft-spoken Sherpa said, “I am doing this for the children of my country, Nepal. I never had a chance to study in my village – I started climbing at a very young age. I want to raise $50,000 so that the students at Mera Elementary School in my village in Solukhumbu can get a new school. I am not an educated man, but if I can help even onechild in my country, that is all that matters.”

Lhakpa, who has also scaled the famed Ama Dablam mountain, is not the only one in his family to scale Everest. In fact, Sherpa’s family holds the World record for the most ascents by a single family: thirty. Sherpa’s olderbrother tragically died in 1991 during an ascent to the top of Annapurna

1. His youngest brother, Pasang Gerjen Sherpa, climbed Everest at just 20 years old. Supporters are urged to gather at Paradise by 9 AM to greet Sherpa upon his return.

A typical guided climb of Mt. Rainier takes 17 or 18 hours with a sleeping break. If successful in breaking the previous world record for Rainier,Sherpa, will attempt to successively break the world records for each of the famed Seven Summits, the tallest mountains in each of the seven continents a dangerous endeavor that very few have tried. American businessman and amateur mountaineer, Richard Bass, was the first to scale the Seven Summits. Since then, several climbers have scaled all seven peaks without he aid of oxygen. To succeed, Lhakpa  will have to keep up a superhuman pace of over 4,000 feet per hour. He has climbed the world’s tallest peaks, and yet he is totally focused on helping children in Nepal get a better education. I hope thousands come out to support him and this important effort.”

Lhakpa is in need of sponsors to support his quest to help Mera Elementary School in Nepal. Sponsors should contact www.supersherpas.com immediately to find out more about how to help. Contributions can be made to “Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa” and mailed to SuperSherpas(R) 236 E Bridgecreek Way Draper, Ut 84020

Editor’s Note:  This information is coming from an official SuperSherpas® press release.  All photos represented are ©copyrighted by Supersherpas®.  For permission on photos or more information in regards to Lhakpa Gelu’s attempt on Mt. Rainier, please visit the SuperSherpas® Weblog.