On April 22, 1993, something truly remarkable happened. A Nepali woman stood at the top of Mount Everest for the very first time. And she changed history not just for Nepal, but for women everywhere.
This is a story of one woman who was powerful and brave.
We are going to head off to tell the story of Pasang Lhamu sherpa. Her journey was unremarkable.
Let’s dive into the Blog,
Born for the Mountains
Pasang Lhamu Sherpa was born in Lukla, a tiny Himalayas village on December 10, 1961. The towering mountains that are near Nepal surrounded all of her upbringing. Her family was Sherpa so she climbed high peaks using both skill and strength. But back then, as just a girl, you weren’t expected at all to climb. It was expected of you that you stay home, cook, along with raising children.
But Pasang was different.
She did not have any formal education yet she did have a more strong thing: a dream. She wanted to climb. Mount Everest is known as the tallest mountain upon the Earth. It is not simply just any mountain there.
Fighting Expectations
Pasang’s life wasn’t easy. When she was young, her family made the arrangement for her to get married. Pasang did not have desire for that, though. Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa became her husband when she fled. They started Thamserku Trekking, that is, a trekking company, together as one.
Pasang started climbing herself. She was inspired from her work helping tourists in their climb and trek of the Himalayas. She climbed Yala Peak, Pisang, Mont Blanc in Europe, smaller peaks like those, and even Cho Oyu among the world’s sixth tallest.
Each climb existed as part of a bigger goal. Everest was that bigger goal.
Everest: A Dream with Challenges
Climbing Everest is beyond just tough. It’s dangerous. Thin air, unpredictable weather, and a path with ice, snow, and risks exist. Pasang attempted Everest three times before reaching its summit. Her failures were frequent. Each failure brought pain. As a woman in Nepal, she was doubted and criticized trying to do what only men had done—not just as a climber.
But Pasang didn’t stop. She kept training. She kept believing.
Then there came her fourth try, which was what happened back in 1993.
Related links: Everest Base Camp Trek Nepal: Your Ultimate Himalayan Adventure
The Summit and the Storm
On April 22, 1993, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa reached Mount Everest’s top. The first woman from Nepal she is ever. She did something prominent.
She was standing right there above all of the clouds. A prayer and a smile filled her. At last, it was done by her. She had been dreaming about that very moment in all of her life.
A terrible storm rolled in, but headed on down. Pasang stayed behind in order to help out Sonam Tshering Sherpa, who was one of her teammates, and who got sick. Pasang never did make it back, and then the wind and the snow grew even stronger.
Only hours after achieving her dream, she died while descending.
Her body was found on May 10 in 1993.
Related links: Mardi Himal Base Camp Trek
A Nation Mourns and Honors Her
Pasang Lhamu’s death was heartbreaking. But her courage and success inspired the entire country. She became a national hero.
Nepal gave her the highest honors:
- Nepal Tara (Star of Nepal) award
- Youth Excellence Award
- A statue of her was built in Kathmandu
- A road and a mountain were named after her
- She became part of school textbooks, so every child learns about her
- In 2024, a crater on the Moon was named “Lhamu” to honor her globally
Telling Her Story to the World
In 2022, “Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest,” a powerful documentary, came out. The film fully recounted Pasang’s life, also she struggled as a woman in a male-dominated society, also how passionately she climbed.
Pasang fought nature along with prejudice, politics, and social rules in the film. Climbing Everest was only a part of her challenge as it reminded. Respect was in fact the bigger battle. Equality was too.
More Than a Climber: A Symbol of Change
Pasang Lhamu Sherpa did not only climb mountains. She moved them. She moved women to have faith when the world told them “no.”
Nepali women climb mountains as mountaineers today. They are guides also and leaders in the field. Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, one of Nepal’s most respected female climbers, carries even her name.
Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, Purnima Shrestha, and Chhurim Sherpa are also other women. These women say that they did look up to Pasang as being a role model. She made them believe that women can be skilled and also just as brave and as strong as men are.
The Climb Continues
Even today, climbing for Nepali women is not easy. Many face discrimination, a lack of sponsors, coupled with money problems. Lhakpa Sherpa has climbed up on Everest more times than any of the other women. She has cleaned houses for survival.
These struggles are now illuminated within Pasang’s story. The story can be a great example. Even though courage is not always rewarded, it still matters because this reminds us.
For fame wasn’t the reason she climbed Everest. She scaled it to reveal possibilities. Still that message echoes through mountains.
A Living Legacy
Today, her name is everywhere upon roads, schools, mountains, and even the Moon. But her true legacy lives within the hearts of the people. Young girls especially see her then say:
“If Pasang can do it, maybe I can also.”
Pasang Lhamu Sherpa proved that dreams disregard tradition, money, and also gender. They care only about courage.
Everest wasn’t at all something that she climbed.
She lifted a nation.
Final Words
Pasang Lhamu Sherpa’s story is one of bravery, love, loss, and victory. It’s a story every person, in every part of the world, should know. Not just because she reached the top but because she pulled others up with her.
Her name belongs in history not as a symbol, but as a person who dared, endured, and mattered.