Nepali climber smashes record for fastest ascent of Everest by a woman
KATHMANDU (AFP): Nepali climber Phunjo Lama on Thursday reached Everest's summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes, smashing the record for the world's fastest ascent of the mountain by a woman, a tourism official said, according to international reports.

"She started (from the base camp) at 15:52 on May 22, summited 6:23am May 23," Khim Lal Gautam, chief of the tourism's department field office at the base camp, told AFP.

That effort saw Phunjo Jhangmu Lama from Gorkha reclaiming her title of the fastest woman climber on Everest, confirmed base camp officials.

According to Khim Lal Gautam, chief at the Expedition Monitoring Field Office at base camp, Phunjo started her ascend from the base camp at 3:52pm on Wednesday and reached the summit point at 6:23am on Thursday.

"She has scaled Everest in 14 hours and 31 minutes," Gautam shared, after verifying summit time with the expedition operator.

In 2018, Phunjo made headlines after reaching the Everest summit in 39 hours and 6 minutes.

Later in 2021, Ada Tsang Yin-hung of Hong Kong broke Phunjo's record scaling the world's highest peak in 25 hours 50 minutes.

This season, being part of the TAG Nepal Everest expedition, Phunjo decided to reclaim her title, Shiva Bahadur Sapkota, General Secretary at Everest Summiteers Association, said, congratulating Phunjo for her remarkable feat.Gautam, who verified her climb from the base camp, said that Phunjo's courage and determination were exceptional.

Trained in the Swiss Alps and Nepal's Himalayas, Phunjo climbed Mt Everest on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Jayanti, calling for the world peace, Sapkota added.

Phunjo, who is the first Nepali female helicopter long-line rescuer, had already been awarded with the Tenzing-Hilary award by the government.

"I want to dedicate my climb for women's empowerment, mountain environment protection and world peace," the single mother told THT before heading for the expedition last month.

Born in Chhokangpaaro village of Tsum valley in Gorkha, Phunjo scaled Mt Everest, Mt Manaslu, Mt Cho Oyu and other peaks including Amdablam, Lobuche and Denali. She has also supported rural communities for their livelihood.
Nepali Climber,World's Fastest,Woman,Record Time,Everest Summit
Nepali climber Phunjo Lama on Thursday reached Everest's summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes, smashing the record for the world's fastest ascent of the mountain by a woman, a tourism official said.