Story of a lady who make a way for Trekking in Nepal

Climb High Himalaya is a name given to our Nepali company, providing a better travel, tourism and hospitality experiences. Here you’ll find great opportunities to climb, trek and full itineraries that will keep you up to date on the latest in travel. Climb High was started by Nepal’s most famous woman climber, Pemba Doma Sherpa, and her husband Rajen Thapa. Renowned in Nepal, Pemba was an indomitable spirit and the company has always been run with her high standards and principles. She never lost her love for the mountains and took the opportunity to develop her mountaineering skills and to ascend many of the alpine peaks. When she was back in Nepal and specifically back at home in Namche she continued with her mountaineering activities with ascents of Mera Peak, Lobuche East and Island Peak. As time went by, Pemba was beginning to develop a desire to climb an 8000 m peak and prove that all the stereo type perceptions of the Nepalese people and the Sherpani in particular were not true and that they were just as capable of organising and achieving 8000 meters as any male; Nepalese or not. In 1999 Kari Kobler, who was planning a Swiss expedition to Everest from Tibet, happened to be staying at Pemba’s family lodge in Namche Bazaar. Pemba was drawn more and more into the idea of setting her sights on Everest when eventually she had a conversation that she perceived to be a virtual invitation to join the team. As she had no sponsorship or financial support Pemba set about working as many hours as she could to save enough money to purchase all her own equipment and pay for a place as a member of the Swiss 2000 Everest Expedition.

In 1999 Kari Kobler, who was planning a Swiss expedition to Everest from Tibet, happened to be staying at Pemba’s family lodge in Namche Bazaar. Pemba was drawn more and more into the idea of setting her sights on Everest when eventually she had a conversation that she perceived to be a virtual invitation to join the team. As she had no sponsorship or financial support Pemba set about working as many hours as she could to save enough money to purchase all her own equipment and pay for a place as a member of the Swiss 2000 Everest Expedition. Towards the end of 2001 Pemba applied for a solo permit to ascend Everest from the Nepalese side. Nima Nuru, her brother runs his own trekking company, ‘Cho Oyu Trekking’ who were at that time supporting an Italian Everest Expedition, he provided Pemba with a kitchen and Base Camp crew. Pemba came across him above Advanced Base Camp and she quickly offered him a chance to reach the summit as her climbing partner; the summit of Everest on a Sherpa’s CV would enhance his future career prospects enormously. Climbing together the pair reached the South Col on the 14th May but the weather was deteriorating as they settled into their camp routine. The planned summit day of the 15th dawned to the sound of continued bad weather so the pair spent another day sitting out the storm at the South Col before finally setting out at around 9pm and reaching the summit on the 16th May 2002.

Towards the end of 2001 Pemba applied for a solo permit to ascend Everest from the Nepalese side. Nima Nuru, her brother runs his own trekking company, ‘Cho Oyu Trekking’ who were at that time supporting an Italian Everest Expedition, he provided Pemba with a kitchen and Base Camp crew. Pemba came across him above Advanced Base Camp and she quickly offered him a chance to reach the summit as her climbing partner; the summit of Everest on a Sherpa’s CV would enhance his future career prospects enormously. Climbing together the pair reached the South Col on the 14th May but the weather was deteriorating as they settled into their camp routine. The planned summit day of the 15th dawned to the sound of continued bad weather so the pair spent another day sitting out the storm at the South Col before finally setting out at around 9pm and reaching the summit on the 16th May Pemba started climbing again and on the 28th September 2005 she climbed Cho Oyu reaching the summit with four clients at 7am (China time) as leader of a 7 person Cho Oyu ‘Climb High Expedition’, a company she had established with her husband Rajen Thapa.

Pemba continued in the roles of a mother, a wife, a businesswoman and founder of a charity, using her proficiency in nine languages to promote Nepal and her charity work, but despite leading such a full life she yearned to be back in the high mountains. Pemba Dolma was highly respected in Nepal where she was awarded both the Suprabal Prashiddha Gorkha Dakshin Bahu (National Award of Nepal) by His Majesty the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and the Gold Medal for Mountaineering, Nepal by the former His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. On the 22nd May 2007 at the age of 37, Pemba Dolma became the first Asian woman to climb Lhotse. Despite the fixed ropes ending approximately 200 metres short of the summit she along with her Sherpa companion continued upward. With great pride she unfurled the Nepalese flag and then made preparations to return to Camp 3. Pemba had only just begun the descent when she slipped and fell over 1000 metres down the great couloir. Unfortunately doctor declared Pemba dead at the scene at which point arrangements were made to recover the body and take her down to Base Camp from where she was further evacuated to Tengboche. Pemba Dolma’s body was recovered and she was given a full ceremonial funeral at Tengboche Monastery, the first for any woman. The Soles of Records and the Saint Vincent Award for her contribution to mountaineering and her social work, and had left a big footprint for her company Climbs High Himalaya.

Even today Namche Bazaar can give you the spiritual feeling while you watch the statue of Pema Dolma Sherpa when you enter from the main gate to Everest and the high Himalaya.