Chinese climber Gexi Luori, popularly known as Luo Luo, has completed a rare and extremely demanding feat on Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse, breaking a record previously held by renowned Nepali-British mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja.
Rare Double Ascents in Record Time
According to Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Expedition Director at Seven Summit Treks, the 43-year-old climber from China reached the summit of Mount Everest at around 3:30 am on May 27, successfully completing double ascents of both Everest and Lhotse within a single climbing season.
“With his ascent on Everest this morning, Gexi Luori – popularly known as Luo Luo – becomes the first climber to achieve the rare double-header in the fastest time by scaling Everest, then Lhotse, then Lhotse again, and finally Everest again,” Chhang Dawa said. “This is without doubt one of the most remarkable achievements ever seen on an 8,000-meter peak,” he added.
Breaking Nims Purja’s Previous Record
Previously, Nirmal “Nims” Purja made history in 2022 by becoming the first climber to summit Sagarmatha and Lhotse twice between May 15 and May 28. Purja completed the Everest-Lhotse traverse combination twice during that period. However, Luo Luo has now surpassed that milestone with a faster and more demanding sequence. He first climbed Everest at 7:15 am on May 17 before summiting Lhotse on May 18. He then scaled Lhotse again on May 25 and returned to the summit of Sagarmatha at 3:30 am on May 27.
According to experienced climbers, ascending from Lhotse back to Sagarmatha is significantly more difficult compared to descending from Sagarmatha to Lhotse, making Luo Luo’s achievement even more extraordinary. “Luo Luo has done Sagarmatha and Lhotse twice in just 9 days, 20 hours and 15 minutes,” Chhang Dawa stated.
Extreme Endurance in High-Altitude Mountaineering
Sherpa described the accomplishment as one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of 8,000-meter mountaineering and high-altitude climbing. He further revealed that Luo Luo had initially planned to summit Sagarmatha on May 26, but dangerous weather conditions forced him to retreat from the South Summit.
“He was also scheduled to summit Mount Everest on May 26, but due to dangerous high wind conditions, he was forced to turn back from the South Summit. A strong and wise decision in one of the most difficult environments on Earth,” Chhang Dawa informed.
