Tamting Sherpa: Unsung Hero of Himalayas

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 20: Tamting Sherpa is one of the well-known names in mountaineering. Born and brought up in Rolwaling, Dolakha, Sherpa has been in mountaineering for the last three decades.

He is one of the few mountaineers who have successfully conquered all 14 peaks measuring above 8,000 metres. Gasherbrum-I, the 8,080 metres tall peak of Pakistan was the 14th mountain measuring over 8,000 metres he climbed. 

Sherpa scaled this peak on July 26, 2023, becoming one of the eight mountaineers to scale all 8,000-plus metres peaks of the world. Being a part of the expedition run by Imagine Nepal Treks Sherpa, he scaled the hidden peak Gasherbrum-I, said Mingma G, chairman of Imagine Nepal Treks.

Tamting started his climbing career as a climbing Sherpa in 1996 from Mt. Kusumg Khangru. He was one of the Sherpa climbers on K2 in 1997 when the first Nepali expedition team accomplished the feat on the second tallest peak of the world. 

Interestingly, Tamting's elder brother Dawa Tashi Sherpa, and Gyalbu Sherpa, Mingma Tseri Sherpa and Pemba Dorjee Sherpa (Nawang Thile), all from the Rolwaling Valley were the first Nepali K2 summiteers.

On May 18, 1998, Tamting made his first summit on Everest with his elder brother Dawa Tashi Sherpa, whom he takes as his climbing mentor. By now, he has climbed Mt. Everest for 11 times.

Likewise, he conquered Kanchenjunga and K-2 in 2022. He also climbed Mt. Makalu and Mt. Dhawalagiri the same year. He reached the peak of Cho-Oyu eight times from 1999 to 2005. He conquered Annapurna twice in 2021 and 2023.  The other peaks he climbed are: Lhotse in 2018, 2019 and 2023, Nanga Parbat in 2023, Gasherbrum I in 2023, Broad Peak in 2018 and 2022, Gasherbrum II in 2019 and Shishapangma in 1999 and 2011.

Tamting was one of the Sherpas on Manaslu in 2021 when Mingma G's team took the lead to initiate the 'Rolwaling Diversion' route to Manaslu's main summit. According to Mingma G, Tamting is an unsung hero and keeps the real mountaineering spirit. 

Tamting was one of the expedition's key members who also helped Yuichiro Miura to become the oldest person to climb Everest and Xia Boyu to climb Everest minus both legs. 

“Though Wikipedia shows 50 climbers achieved the feat, till date there are only eight climbers who made it to the summits of all 14 highest peaks above 8,000 metres. “It's a pride that our teammate Tamting is one amongst these,” Mingma G said.