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Reaching Great Heights

A teenager from Nepal is the youngest person ever to climb to the top of the world’s 14 highest mountains.

Nima Rinji Sherpa stands in front of a group of yellow tents on a mountainside with a snow-topped mountain in the background.

14 Peaks Expedition, 14peaksexpedition.com

Nima Rinji Sherpa poses for a photo at a base camp during one of his climbing expeditions.

A teenager from Nepal is the youngest person ever to climb to the top of the 14 highest mountains in the world. Nima Rinji Sherpa, 18, checked number 14 off the list on October 9, when he reached the summit of Shisha Pangma, a 26,335-foot (8,027-meter) mountain in Tibet.

Nima began his quest in September 2022, when he reached the top of Manāslu, a 26,781-foot (8,163-meter) mountain in Nepal at age 16. He has spent the past two years climbing the rest of the 14 peaks, including Mount Everest, which at 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) is the tallest mountain in the world.

The 14 peaks are known as “eight-thousanders” because they are all more than 8,000 meters (26,245 feet) high, making them dangerous to climb. The human body struggles at altitudes above 8,000 meters because the air contains less oxygen. The low temperatures and high winds make it even harder for climbers to gather the strength they need. 

Unlike many other climbers, Nima did not always carry a tank of oxygen with him, a decision that he said is not what experts recommend. He and his climbing partner also faced avalanches, slippery ice, and stomach cramps, which can occur when a climber doesn’t drink enough water.

“Regardless of the beauty of the mountains [and] the success of the summit, it’s always going to be a dangerous sport,” Nima later told CNN.

Two climbers look tiny on the face of a steep, snowy mountain

14 Peaks Expedition, 14peaksexpedition.com

Nima Rinji Sherpa climbs a snowy mountain along with a climbing partner.

Nima is part of the Sherpa ethnic group. Sherpas have lived in the Himalaya Mountains of Nepal for generations and have a long history as climbers. Nima’s father has climbed Everest nine times, and his uncle has reached the summits of the 14 peaks.

Many Sherpas have served as guides for tourists who are attempting to climb Everest and other tall peaks. But even though guides climb alongside tourists, they don’t often get the same recognition when they reach a summit. Nima wants to change this.

“Sherpas are not just mountain guides but elite athletes and adventurers capable of creating unique paths on the world stage,” he said in a statement he released after climbing the 14th peak. “I want to show the younger generation of Sherpas that they can rise above the stereotype of being only support climbers and embrace their potential as top-tier athletes, adventurers, and creators. We are not just guides; we are trailblazers.”

Click through the slideshow for photos of Nima’s 14 great achievements!

14 Peaks Expedition, 14peaksexpedition.com; © Viktor Tanasiichuk/Dreamstime.com

Fun Fact Icon

Fun Fact

A chart shows the altitude at five different locations and the boiling point at each location.

© Saiko3p, Sergey Mayorov, Prasit Rodphan/Dreamstime.com, © Marta/stock.adobe.com, © Volodymyr Burdiak/Alamy; Infographic Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Compare each location’s altitude (height) with its boiling point. What do you notice?

You can calculate the height of a mountain by boiling water in a tea kettle!

The boiling point of water reduces by 1.8º F (1º C) every 1,000 feet (304 meters) you climb. This is because the boiling point of water depends on pressure, and pressure drops as you climb. The higher you climb, the faster water boils. 

Mountains Around the World

The 14 highest mountains in the world are all in Asia. But there are tall mountains on every continent. Click on the map to read more about them!

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The World’s Highest Mountain

A group of climbers with equipment on their backs approach the summit of Mount Everest.

Pemba Dorje Sherpa—AFP/STR/Getty Images

If there’s one place that deserves to be called the top of the world, it’s Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on the planet. Many people have tried to climb Everest, but as of the end of 2023, only 6,664 people had reached the summit.

You can learn more about Mount Everest at Britannica.

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Word of the Day

altitude

Part of speech:

noun

Definition:

: the height of something (such as an airplane) above the level of the sea

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