Gelje Sherpa, who began his mountaineering journey as a porter, has risen to prominence as one of the most renowned Sherpas in the mountaineering world. Starting as an Icefall Doctor and progressing to a successful high-altitude guide, Gelje has set numerous records, including some of the most challenging climbs in the world.
Originally from Solu Dudhkunda-10, Gelje Sherpa made history with his winter ascent of K2, becoming the youngest person to summit the world’s second-highest peak at the age of 28 on January 16, 2021. He was part of a distinguished Nepali team, which included renowned mountaineers like Mingma G Sherpa and Nirmal Purja.
To date, Gelje Sherpa has summited all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters a total of 40 times. On January 7, 2023, he became part of the first Nepali team to summit Cho Oyu from the Nepal side. He has also reached the summit of Mount Everest eight times and is highly regarded for executing one of the highest-altitude solo rescues on Everest, demonstrating both his mountaineering skill and humanitarian spirit.
Gelje played a pivotal role in establishing a new route on Cho Oyu, known as the “Gelje Couloir,” and he remains proud of his contributions, saying, “I have climbed other mountains for personal accomplishments, but summiting Cho Oyu was for Nepal.”
His mountaineering career began at 13 when he successfully climbed Mera Peak. Following in the footsteps of his father, who worked in the tourism sector, Gelje developed his skills by working as an Icefall Doctor at the Khumbu Icefall, a dangerous section of the Everest route, for five years.
From 2010, Gelje started climbing 6,000-meter peaks, and between 2012 and 2017, he worked as an Icefall Doctor before transitioning to a high-altitude guide for 8,000-meter peaks. Now with over a decade of mountaineering experience, Gelje Sherpa founded AGA Adventure, his own company, two years ago. His passion for climbing remains as strong as ever, and he continues to inspire the next generation of mountaineers with his incredible journey.
