Kathmandu – In a landmark achievement, 37-year-old Pemba Sherpa from Solukhumbu has become the first kidney transplant survivor in the world to successfully summit Mt Everest. He reached the top of the world’s highest peak at 9:30 AM on May 14, as confirmed by Pemba Gelje Sherpa, Managing Director of Expeditions High Mountain Treks.
Pemba underwent a kidney transplant in 2022 after being diagnosed with kidney failure in 2020 upon returning from Japan. “Both my kidneys had failed, and my father, Ang Gyaljen, donated one of his kidneys without hesitation,” he shared. The recovery took nearly 30 months.
Determined to overcome physical challenges, Pemba began preparing for Everest by summiting Lobuche Peak in 2024. On May 14, he scaled Everest alongside American climbers Michael Rudolph Gutwein II and Saurabh Bhasin, and Nepali climbers and guides including Sajan Dangol, Pemba Ongchu Sherpa, and Gyalje Sherpa.
Guinness World Records’ Nepal representative Thaneswar Guragain has verified Pemba Sherpa’s feat as a world first. Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa, chair of Yeti Group, hailed Pemba as “an inspiration and a beacon of hope,” adding, “He has proven that transplant survivors can achieve the extraordinary.”
Reflecting on his journey, Pemba expressed deep gratitude to his family and supporters. “I never want to return to dialysis again. With determination and support, even medical survivors can conquer the world’s greatest heights,” he said.
