From a small village in Nepal to a world-renowned mountaineer, Lhakpa Sherpa’s story is remarkable. The Netflix documentary “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa,” directed by Lucy Walker, chronicles her life and accomplishments. This film shows her incredible feats and her difficult personal life, painting a picture of a strong and resilient woman.
Early Years and the Start of Climbing
Lhakpa Sherpa was born in 1973 in a cave in the Makalu region of Nepal. She grew up in Balakharka, a village in the Himalayas that is very far away. She is one of eleven children. Lhakpa was not allowed to go to school because of cultural norms that put boys’ education first. She had a hard childhood. For example, she had to carry her brother to school for hours through the hills while she wasn’t allowed to go to class herself.
Even though these things happened, Lhakpa found her calling in the mountains. She was frequently the only girl among men working as a porter on mountain trips by the age of fifteen. This encounter improved her climbing techniques and offered a release from the conventional expectations of an arranged marriage. She became more and more interested in climbing, and in 2000, she made history by being the first Nepali woman to successfully climb and descend Mount Everest. This accomplishment was the start of a very successful career for her.
Achievements That Broke Records
Lhakpa’s career as a climber is marked by many records and awards. She has climbed Mount Everest ten times, more than any other woman. Her tenth ascent on May 12, 2022, was her crowning achievement, funded by crowdsourcing. This achievement earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for most female Everest climbs.
Beyond climbing Everest, she has achieved more. Lhakpa’s narrative also includes summiting with her siblings; in 2003, they were the first trio of siblings to do so together. At age 15, Mingma, her younger sister, broke records as the youngest woman to reach Everest.
Who is Lhakpa’s Husband?
A lot of bad things have happened in Lhakpa’s personal life. She got married to climber Gheorghe Dijmărescu in 2002. He is Romanian-American. They met in Kathmandu, Nepal, and both loved mountains. They climbed Everest five times together. But violence in the home caused problems in their marriage. Lhakpa was abused for years. It became public when Gheorghe attacked her in front of other climbers during an expedition in 2004. The turning point was this event, which led to their separation in 2012 after more abuse.
In Kodas’ book, Dijmărescu is depicted as violent and dictatorial. Kodas describes witnessing Dijmărescu physically assaulting his wife, Lhakpa Sherpa, at Everest’s Tibetan base camp. Fearing for his family’s safety, Kodas installed a security system at his home due to Dijmărescu’s ongoing threats.
Lhakpa’s strength shone through as she got through these tough times. She and her daughters, Sunny and Shiny, moved to a women’s shelter, where she started to rebuild her life. A court gave her sole legal custody of her children in 2016, and Gheorghe got a suspended sentence for what he did. Lhakpa kept climbing even though things were hard. She used the mountains as a way to heal and feel strong. Lhakpa Sherpa’s former husband, passed away in 2020 from cancer.
Where is Lhakpa Sherpa Now?
Lhakpa Sherpa now lives in the United States and works different jobs to support her family. For example, she cleans homes and works in a grocery store. Lhakpa Sherpa has three children Sunny (22), Shiny (17), and Nima. Lhakpa’s son is from a short relationship she had in Kathmandu in the late 1990s. Nima is very smart, driven, and good at science and engineering. A lot of people have been moved by her story, especially women who want to break down barriers. The Netflix documentary shows how much she wants to encourage others, especially her daughters, to follow their dreams no matter what.
Lhakpa keeps her eyes on the mountains as she plans her future. She wants to start her own climbing guide business and share her knowledge and love of the sport with other people. Her story, which is full of strength and determination, is a powerful example of how to get through tough times and break down barriers.
Sunny and Shiny, Lhakpa’s daughters, are very proud of their mother’s amazing journey and strength. They admit that talking about their family’s problems and weaknesses in the documentary was hard, but they think it was important for people to understand how bad their mother’s experiences were. Lucy Walker, the Oscar-nominated director of the documentary “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa,” shares a deep admiration for Lhakpa’s resilience and strength.
People are aware of what Lhakpa Sherpa has done. She is known all over the world, and in 2016 she was named one of the BBC’s 100 Women. She will be remembered not only for the records she set, but also for being an inspiration to women climbers all over the world.
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Where Are Lhakpa Sherpa’s Kids Now?
