The Daily - Day 2 - June 19, 2019 - 24

The Pulse

F U T U R E

E P I C
Dawa Yangzum Sherpa
climbed nearly 10,000
feet in 21 hours, reaching
Makalu's summit at 6:30 a.m.

more like a booming shanty
town. I actually got nervous
since there were so few of us
on this entire huge mountain.
At the same time, the solitude,
the quiet, and the challenge of
climbing made Makalu one of
my best climbing experiences ever. Summiting this peak
has made me more confident
about climbing.

Above It All

In May, Dawa Yangzum Sherpa became the first Nepali woman to
summit Makalu. It's just one of many ways the young climber is
paving the way for women in the high peaks. By Doug Schnitzspahn
WHEN A DEADLY TRAFFIC JAM OF

climbers stacked up on Mount
Everest in May, the images
quickly went viral. Dawa Yangzum Sherpa decided there
were other peaks to climb. She
abandoned her bid for a speed
record on the world's highest
peak and moved on to 27,825foot Makalu, becoming the first
Nepali woman to reach the
summit. Firsts are nothing new
for the 27-year-old: In March,
she became the first Nepali
athlete to be sponsored by The
North Face, and she's the first
Nepali woman to be certified as
an IFMGA guide. She became
one of the first Nepali women (along with Pasang Lhamu

24

Sherpa and Maya Sherpa) to
top 28,251-foot K2 in 2014;
and she made first ascents on
20,538-foot Chekigo in 2011
and 20,856-foot Langdung in
2017, as well as summiting Everest, Denali, and Aconcagua. Her
goal is to inspire young women
from rural Himalayan communities to follow a path that has
been, for far too long, reserved
solely for men.
Can you tell us about your
latest project? 
The crowded conditions on
Everest meant that I couldn't
speed climb it without oxygen,
which was my original goal. I
had always thought of climb-

/ SUMMER MARKET 2019

ing Makalu since I saw it from
the summit of Everest in 2012.
Trying Makalu instead made
sense. It was very quiet on
Makalu, and when I reached
the summit, there were only
two other climbers. It was
strange. We saw only seven
people on the entire mountain.
I have never seen so few people on an 8,000-meter peak
before. It was just so different
from Everest, which feels much

Why is it important for you to
be at the Show? 
For me, it's a time to connect
with so many amazing people, not just climbers but also
people in different sports. It's
also a place to maintain good
relationships with climbers
and the outdoor community.
Of course, I also get the opportunity to learn more about
gear, which I always appreciate. My first experience with
Outdoor Retailer was in 2012.
I was coming from Nepal, and
when I got to the Show, I was
simply amazed by it. I learned
so much and saw so many
new things there for the first
time in my life.

"THE SOLITUDE, THE QUIET, AND THE
CHALLENGE OF CLIMBING MADE MAKALU ONE
OF MY BEST CLIMBING EXPERIENCES EVER."

P H OTO CO U R T E SY O F DAWA YA N G Z U M S H E R PA

What is the piece of gear that
you are most hoping to find
at Summer Market?
I always struggle to find glacier glasses that fit my particular face shape. It's always
been hard for me to find the
perfect pair-and they are
mandatory gear on big mountains. So, I will be walking the
floor looking for them.
The Daily - Day 2 - June 19, 2019

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