On 16 January 2021, ten Nepali climbers stood together on the summit of K2 (8,611 m) in Pakistan, making the first winter ascent of the world's second-highest mountain, the last 8,000 m peak still unclimbed in winter. The team, including Nirmal Purja and Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, gathered below the summit and walked the final steps together, singing the Nepali national anthem.
In short: a team of ten Nepali climbers made the first winter ascent of K2 on 16 January 2021, a landmark moment in mountaineering and for Nepal's climbing community.
Why it mattered
For decades, Nepali and Sherpa climbers had made Himalayan expeditions possible, often without recognition. Climbing K2 in winter as an all-Nepali team, on their own terms, was celebrated as a historic statement of skill and pride.
In Nepal today
Nepal's mountaineering community continues to lead on the world's highest peaks. Many trekking guides have climbing backgrounds; ask about trekking peaks such as Island Peak or Pisang Peak for a first Himalayan summit.