Shining Like Full Moon, Purnima Atop Sagarmatha

She made the impossible possible.  For Purnima Shrestha, there is nothing impossible when it comes to climbing the world’s tallest and toughest mountains. In May 2024, Shrestha etched her name into mountaineering history by becoming the first woman to summit Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) three times in a single season. She scaled Sagarmatha three times within the span of 13 days.

Her mountaineering journey is both extraordinary and surreal. Before 2017, she never envisioned herself climbing mountains. That all changed when she visited Sagarmatha Base Camp to cover the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon for an online portal where she worked as a photojournalist.

“It was my first trek to Sagarmatha Base Camp. I flew in without time to acclimatise and experienced altitude sickness. But when I reached the base camp, my excitement was beyond words. That trip made me fall in love with the mountains,” she recalled.

After returning to Kathmandu, she told people she would climb Sagarmatha, but no one believed her. Over the next year, she sought advice from mountaineers to learn what it took to climb Sagarmatha. One of the suggestions was to start with Manaslu, a mountain she knew well from her childhood in Aarughat, Gorkha.

Born and growing up in Aarughat, she often saw trekkers heading to Manaslu and even sold lettuce to them. Beginning her mountaineering journey with Manaslu felt right. However, she needed a lot of money for the expedition. Determined, she collected funds from friends and took a loan, which she is still repaying.

Journey to Kathmandu

She studied at Bimodaya Higher Secondary School in Aarughat. After completing her school leaving certificate, she dreamed of studying in Kathmandu, the city of her dream. However, her parents were farmers, and her family could not support her higher education. However, her desire to study in the capital city did not stop her, so she headed to Kathmandu in 2007. “I stayed with relatives until I completed my 12th grade, as I had no money to pay for rent and food in a separate room or apartment here,” she said.

Shrestha was not born into wealth. Her parents were subsistence farmers. Her childhood home lacked running water, and as a child, she had to walk hours to fetch drinking water with a large pot. “After I completed 12th grade, I started working as a salesgirl in a readymade shop. I joined a Bachelor of Arts at a private college, where I chose journalism as my major,” she said. While pursuing her education, she began as an intern in sports journalism at Food and Wine Magazine. She started doing both photography and reporting. “At that time, I did what was necessary for me. I did not choose what I wanted but did what I needed because daily necessities were greater than my desires,” she said.

Inspiration to climb

In 2017, she got the opportunity to go to Sagarmatha Base Camp to take pictures. When she saw Sagarmatha for the first time, she fell in love with the peak. She wondered why only foreigners seemed to have a strong interest in the mountains and why locals didn't share the same enthusiasm.

“I wanted to learn about the mountain, and I decided to scale it in 2018. When I told people about my plan, most people discouraged me, saying that Sagarmatha was not meant for me. But I wanted to prove them wrong. I felt I had the power and courage, and I knew it was time to pursue what I truly wanted, instead of just doing what was necessary for my daily living. So, I am determined to scale the mountain at any cost,” Shrestha said.

Before Sagarmatha, she was suggested to climb small mountains. So, Shrestha joined a Manaslu expedition with minimal training as she wanted to start her foot on the mountain from her own district. It took her 22 days to scale Manaslu. “I realised how tough the expedition would be and why everyone thought I would not make it. But this made me more determined,” she says. Despite the challenges, she carried four kilogrammes of camera gear to document her journey.

The Manaslu expedition exposed the risks of mountaineering. She often questioned her passion and the risks involved. However, her Sherpa guide’s constant motivation kept her going. In the same year, she climbed Manaslu; she also climbed Everest for the first time in 2018. By 2021, she had summited Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri, and in May 2022, she conquered Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu.

But the journey to the mountains was not easy for her. The trek to the top was challenging, and another major obstacle was funding. “It was really hard for me to raise money for my climb. No one believed that I would scale the mountain,” she said. One of her biggest challenges has been securing funding. For her Sagarmatha expedition, students from her former school in Gorkha each contributed Rs 5. She also sought help from local governments and businesspersons. Finding sponsors remains difficult despite her achievements, especially as a female climber, she said,

“As a small-framed woman, many sponsors doubt my ability. I might not be the strongest mountaineer, but I am most passionate. I did not come this far to give up on my dreams,” she said. Despite these challenges, she managed to collect Rs 2.5 to 3 million from her friends and personal connections to fund her first Sagarmatha expedition.

After scaling Sagarmatha in 2018, she learnt that no Nepali woman had successfully climbed Annapurna I in the past 70 years. “I started to think, why not?” she said. A team of six Nepali women was formed to tackle Annapurna I, and they succeeded on April 16, 2021. This marked the first time six Nepali women had summited Annapurna I.

Shrestha has now climbed eight peaks above 8,000 meters and scaled 12th time, and she is not done. She reached the summit of the world's highest peak with 8K Expeditions on all three occasions. Purnima's record of 8000-meter peaks includes Manaslu (twice), Sagarmatha (four times), Annapurna I, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, and K2.

Encouraging advice

Purnima's journey is a powerful testament to the strength of determination and the refusal to give up on one's dreams. From facing doubt and financial hurdles to conquering some of the world's highest peaks, Shrestha’s story embodies the spirit of perseverance. Despite numerous obstacles, including doubts from others and the immense challenges of mountaineering, she never wavered in her pursuit. Her achievements remind us that with unwavering commitment and resilience, we can overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.

“When I was scaling the mountain, I could only focus on my life and my breath. I pleaded with the mountains, asking them to take me back to where I came from and not to keep my breath there. So, if we concentrate on our goals and cherish every breath that keeps us alive, we can achieve what we dream of. Life is a short journey, and everyone should work to fulfil their dreams. Never say, ‘I cannot do this,’ because that is just an excuse.”

Her accomplishments inspire many to continue pursuing their goals, regardless of the difficulties. Shrestha’s story is a reminder that dreams are worth fighting for, and with resilience and dedication, we can achieve greatness, no matter how challenging the journey may be.

(Aryal is a journalist at The Rising Nepal.)