Nepali singer and songwriter Raju Lama has successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, marking another major achievement in his ongoing Seven Summits campaign. Lama reached the 5,895-meter summit on August 11 at around 9 a.m. local time, accompanied by internationally certified mountain guide Abiral Rai. The successful ascent has taken Lama’s Seven Summits journey to four completed continental peaks and brought him closer to his goal of standing on the highest mountains of all seven continents.
Kilimanjaro Adds Another Major Milestone
Located in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro stands at 5,895 meters and is the highest peak in Africa. Lama’s successful ascent represents his latest achievement in international mountaineering after he expanded his activities beyond music and began pursuing some of the world’s most prominent high-altitude challenges. According to reports, Lama and Abiral Rai reached the summit together during their latest expedition, further strengthening their partnership in international climbing.
Lama’s latest climb is particularly notable because it forms part of a much larger objective rather than being an isolated mountaineering achievement. Through the Seven Summits challenge, he is attempting to climb the highest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents. With Kilimanjaro now completed, he has successfully reached the highest peaks of Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa, demonstrating steady progress toward the completion of the demanding international challenge.
Four Continental Summits Successfully Completed
Lama’s Seven Summits journey began with his successful ascent of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, on May 16, 2022. Everest, which rises to 8,848.86 meters, became the first major peak on his Seven Summits list. He subsequently climbed Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, the highest peak of Oceania under the Seven Summits classification, followed by Mount Elbrus in Europe and now Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.
With four peaks completed, Lama has three major summits remaining before he can complete his Seven Summits objective. His remaining targets are Denali in North America, Aconcagua in South America and Mount Vinson in Antarctica. Each presents its own demanding high-altitude, weather and expedition challenges, meaning Lama’s journey still requires considerable preparation and international mountaineering experience.
Expedition with Mountain Guide Abiral Rai
The Kilimanjaro expedition also brought together Lama and IFMGA-certified mountain guide Abiral Rai, a Nepali mountaineer with extensive experience in international expeditions. Rai accompanied Lama during the successful ascent and has himself made substantial progress toward his own Seven Summits goal. The Kilimanjaro climb was the second international expedition undertaken jointly by Lama and Rai, following their previous ascent of Mount Elbrus.
Their collaboration combines Lama’s public profile and environmental advocacy with Rai’s technical mountaineering experience. Rai has described his work across international expeditions as involving not only mountain guiding but also expedition leadership, rescue, training, photography and videography. He has also worked with former Gurkha soldier and mountaineer Hari Budha Magar on several major international climbs.
A Climb with a Message of Remembrance
The Kilimanjaro ascent also carried an emotional significance. According to Everest Chronicle, Lama and Rai dedicated their climb to the 10 climbers who died in the Broad Peak avalanche in Pakistan the previous month. At the summit, Lama reportedly performed a song in memory of the climbers while a banner bearing their names was displayed. The tragedy included six Nepali climbers, among them renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, also known as Nimsdai.
The tribute added a humanitarian dimension to what was otherwise a major sporting and mountaineering achievement. It also reflected the close connection within the international climbing community, particularly among Nepali mountaineers who have long played a significant role in high-altitude expeditions around the world.
From Music to Mountaineering and Climate Advocacy
Lama is widely known as the lead singer of the Nepali folk rock band Mongolian Heart, but his involvement in mountaineering has increasingly connected his artistic career with environmental and climate-related advocacy. His 2022 Everest expedition was associated with raising awareness about climate change and the effects of global warming on mountain regions.
He has continued to use his public platform to connect music, environmental awareness and mountaineering. His Seven Summits campaign therefore represents more than a personal climbing ambition. Lama has sought to use his international expeditions to draw attention to climate change and the changing conditions of mountain environments. The combination of music and mountaineering has given him an unusual platform through which to communicate environmental concerns to audiences in Nepal and abroad.
Three Peaks Between Lama and the Seven Summits Goal
The successful Kilimanjaro ascent leaves Lama with three mountains still to climb: Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America; Denali, the highest mountain in North America; and Mount Vinson, the highest mountain in Antarctica. Completing these three expeditions would give him the seven continental summits required for the challenge. The remaining climbs will require careful planning because of their different geographical and climatic conditions. From the extreme cold and isolation of Antarctica to the demanding altitude of Aconcagua and the severe weather conditions often encountered on Denali, the final stages of the campaign are expected to present significantly different challenges from Kilimanjaro.
Boost to Nepal’s Mountaineering and Adventure-Tourism Image
Lama’s achievement also adds another prominent Nepali name to the country’s growing international mountaineering profile. Nepal is globally recognized for its Himalayan peaks and mountaineering heritage, while Nepali climbers and mountain guides have increasingly demonstrated their expertise on peaks beyond the Himalayas.
Lama’s progress across four continents illustrates how Nepali mountaineering is extending beyond Nepal’s traditional climbing destinations. For Nepal’s adventure tourism and mountaineering sector, achievements by Nepali climbers and public figures on internationally recognized peaks can contribute to the country’s wider image as a nation closely connected with mountain adventure. Lama’s combination of celebrity, environmental advocacy and mountaineering also provides an opportunity to introduce mountain-related issues and adventure activities to audiences who may not traditionally follow climbing.
The Journey Continues
With four of the seven continental summits completed, Raju Lama is now significantly closer to achieving one of mountaineering’s most demanding global objectives. His successful Kilimanjaro ascent adds Africa’s highest peak to a climbing record that already includes Everest, Carstensz Pyramid and Elbrus. The remaining challenge is substantial, but Lama’s latest achievement demonstrates that his Seven Summits campaign is progressing steadily. His journey now turns toward Aconcagua, Denali and Mount Vinson, while his partnership with experienced mountain guide Abiral Rai is expected to remain an important part of his future international expeditions.
