Meet Lhakpa Sherpa, The Risk Taker Who Truly Became A Mountain Queen

In 2000, Lhakpa Sherpa became the first Nepali woman to climb Mount Everest and survive. This was just the beginning of her colossal journey achieving inspirational feats in mountaineering. Having ascended the Everest 10 times, she presently holds the record for the most summits by a woman. Streaming platform Netflix recently announced a documentary that follows the pioneering mountaineer's life conquering 'impossible' heights.

Who Is Lhakpa Sherpa?

Sherpa grew up with 10 siblings in the remote Himalayan region of Balakharka, a village in Nepal's Makalu. Despite being denied formal education as a woman, she became a globally acclaimed figure in September 2000 when she conquered Everest with the Nepali Women Millennium Expedition.

In 2000, she was the leader of a mountaineering expedition sponsored by an adventure company called Asian Trekking. While Pasang Lhamu Sherpa is recognised as the first Nepali woman to climb Everest, Lhakpa Sherpa became the first to survive the ascent. 

By 2003, Lhakpa Sherpa had already climbed Everest thrice, the most by any woman in the world. In 2007, the record grew to six summits. In 2016, she took a more challenging route to the peak, making her seventh summit from Tibet. Her tenth climb was in May 2022, which was a crowdfunded expedition.

Lhakpa Sherpa now lives in the United States. She is a single mother of three, working at a convenience store called Whole Foods in Connecticut. While she hasn't gone climbing in over two years, her heroic achievements and adventurous spirit continue to reflect her indomitable determination.

Netflix Documentary Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa 

Netflix is sharing the inspirational journey of the pioneering mountaineer with a documentary titled Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa. According to director Lucy Walker, the film would explore a "wider view of what it means to climb." Producer Dalia Burde said, "It has been an honour to tell Lhakpa’s breathtaking story,”

Speaking to Tudum, Burde said, "It reminds us that there are heroes living amongst us, the person next to you on the subway, driving the Uber or cleaning the dishes at a local Whole Foods. I have been inspired by her every day since this project began and I cannot wait for the world to meet Lhakpa and see what resilience truly means."