Apa Sherpa Reaches Mt. Everest Summit for Record 19th Time

After all the bad news out of China in the past couple weeks, here is a bit of good news from the top of the world.

Last Wednesday, June 10, Apa Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest, highest mountain in the world, for his 19th time—more than anyone else in the world. The 49-year-old Sherpa, originally from the village of Thame in Nepal and a resident of Salt Lake City since 2006, has climbed Everest for eight straight years and 19 of the last 20 years.

Apa also carried a sacred two-pound vase, called a Bhumpa, to the summit. The high monk Ngawang Tenzin Zangpo, Rinpoche of the monastery of Tengboche below the mountain, asked Apa to take the Bhumpa, which was filled with 400 different ingredients, relics, plants, and elements, to the summit as an offering to Chomolangma, Mother Goddess of the World, to protect humanity and help deal with climate change.

When he reached Mount Everest's summit, Apa radioed Eco Everest Expedition Base Camp at 8:00 p.m. and said, "I am at the top and am looking at all the prayer flags. I have just satisfied the deities and placed the Bhumpa on the summit." He also raised a flag that read: "Stop Climate Change, Let the Himalayas Live!"

Photograph above: Apa Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest more times than any other person. Photograph courtesy Apa Sherpa