From Sunday, October 4, to Tuesday, October 6, a team of three Sherpas summited three previously unclimbed 20,000-foot peaks in the Rolwaling Valley of the Himalayas, in east-central Nepal, according to . Nima Tenji Sherpa, Dawa Gyalje Sherpa, and Mingma Tashi Sherpa secured the first ascents of Mount Raungsiyar (20,420 feet), Mount Langdak (20,407 feet), and Mount Thakar Go East (20,184 feet). The three veteran climbers have a total of 23 Everest ascents between them, , but this expedition marks the first all-Nepalese team to achieve a Himalayan first ascent.
“It was the first time the Nepalese have explored a new peak,” expedition leader Nima Tenji Sherpa told ϳԹ.
The three climbers’ names—Nima, Dawa, and Mingma—translate to Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, respectively. The names refer to the days of the week when the climbers were born, and the team arranged their expedition so that each Sherpa would lead the summit on the day that corresponded with his name.
Nima Tenji described the expedition as a healing process after the earthquake that killed thousands last April. “After the earthquake, we like to help promote Nepal,” he said.