KATHMANDU, MAY 25
Nepali climber Pasang Sona Sherpa has achieved a rare mountaineering milestone by summiting Mt Everest three times through three distinct routes in less than a year, marking one of the most unusual feats in Himalayan climbing history.
The 30-year-old Sherpa from Phortse village of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality reached the world's highest peak again on May 21, 2026, via the traditional southern route from Nepal while working with Expeditions High Mountain Treks.
With this ascent, expedition officials said he has become the youngest climber to summit Everest three times through three different routes within such a short span.
First ascent from Tibet side
Pasang Sona's record-setting sequence began on May 27, 2025, when he successfully climbed Everest from the northern Tibet side while working with Alpenglow Expeditions.
He had earlier received formal adventure training at the Khumbu Climbing Centre in Phortse between 2014 and 2016, before making his first Everest ascent in 2017.
Hornbein Couloir challenge with global climbers
His second ascent came on October 15, 2025, through the technically demanding Hornbein Couloir route on the Tibetan side as part of the National Geographic Ski Expedition.
During the climb, he summited alongside renowned climbers Jim Morrison and Jimmy Chin, further strengthening his profile in high-altitude expedition work.
The National Geographic-led expeditions in which he participated in 2019 and 2023 also contributed to scientific research, including the installation of five weather stations in the Everest region, some located at high camps.
Final ascent from Nepal side
Pasang Sona completed his third ascent on May 21, 2026, this time via the standard southern route from Nepal, once again standing atop the 8,848.86-metre peak.
Expedition officials described the achievement as a rare combination of technical versatility, endurance and consistency across both the Nepal and Tibet sides of Everest.
Speaking after returning to Kathmandu on Saturday, Pasang Sona said he was proud to be the only climber in the world to have summited Everest three times through three different routes in less than a year.
Born into a well-known mountaineering family, Pasang Sona comes from Khumjung village in the Everest region. His father, Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa, was awarded the Suprabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu for his achievement in the 1988 China–Japan–Nepal Friendship Expedition, where he set a record for speed ascent of Everest and was also recognised by the Mountaineering Association of China.
Mountaineering runs deep in the family, with all three sons of Lhakpa Sonam having successfully climbed Everest multiple times, including Pasang Sona and his brothers Sonam Dorjee Sherpa and Mingma Tenjin Sherpa.
Beyond mountaineering, Pasang Sona has also competed in the Everest Marathon three times.