KATHMANDU: When Mingma Gyabu Sherpa stood atop K2 in the dead of winter in January 2021, he became one of the first people in history to conquer the world's second-highest peak in its most unforgiving season. Now, the record-breaking mountaineer is attempting a different kind of ascent, into Nepal's political arena.

Mingma David, as he's widely known, is contesting the March 5 House of Representatives by-election under the proportional representation system from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). His candidacy comes after a stint as first vice president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), where he worked to professionalize the climbing industry.

But it's his career in the high mountains,  built on strong determination and unparalleled ability for meticulous planning, that has made him a household name in Nepal and beyond.

A career built on altitude

Mingma added "David" to his name for easier recognition abroad, as "Mingma" is widely used in Sherpa culture. His climbing résumé reads like a catalog of extremes: 33 ascents of 8,000-metre peaks, including eight summits of Everest and six of K2, the most by any climber.

He holds two Guinness World Records: climbing Everest and K2 within 61 days, and traversing Everest and Lhotse in less than 20 hours. He's also recognized as the youngest person to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks, reaching the final summit at age 30.

In 2019, he was named Sherpa of the Year and awarded the prestigious Piolet d'Or Asia. The President of Nepal honored him with the Prabal Jansewa Shree (Class IV) for his contributions to mountaineering.

The rescuer

But perhaps Mingma's most defining work has been in saving lives.

He has conducted over 100 rescues, including operations in the "death zone" above 8,000 metres where human survival is measured in hours. In 2016, his team executed what is widely considered the highest human-powered rescue operation ever, retrieving a climber from 8,600 metres on Everest without helicopter support.

That same season, within just two months, a rescue team led by Mingma successfully conducted 52 rescues in the Everest region. All were successful.

On Dhaulagiri I, he led the "highest long-line rescue ever," making the first human recovery from 7,900-metre Camp III and later conducting a sling recovery from 7,400 metres.

From porter to partner

Mingma's journey began far from the spotlight. Starting as a porter, he worked his way up through sheer determination, completing the Basic Rescue Course at the Nepal Mountaineering Instructors Association in 2009, followed by trekking guide training and advanced mountaineering courses.

By 2019, he had become a key climber and partner in Nims Purja's Project Possible,  the audacious mission to climb all 14 eight-thousanders in just seven months. Mingma summited Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I and II, Broad Peak, and Shishapangma as part of the team.

He expanded his skill set beyond climbing, becoming a solo paragliding pilot in 2020 and completing skydiving training in the UK in 2017. He even became the first Sherpa skier on Manaslu (2016) and Mera Peak (2017).

Business and advocacy

Mingma co-founded Elite Exped alongside Nims Purja and established the 14 Peak Foundation, which focuses on climate change initiatives, mountain clean-ups, and tourism innovation. He also serves as Managing Director of Sherpa Extreme Pvt. Ltd. and holds director positions at Elite Skydiving and MDS Clothing.

His advocacy work through NMA pushed for better safety standards, equipment regulations, and professional training for guides and porters,  issues that have long plagued Nepal's mountaineering industry.

A different summit

Having navigated some of the most hostile environments on earth, Mingma David Sherpa now seeks to translate decades of risk management, crisis leadership, and international exposure into public service. But his trajectory, from high-altitude porter to globally recognized climber and rescuer, has already marked one of the most distinctive careers in Nepal’s mountaineering history.

For Sherpa, the next ascent lies not above 8,000 meters, but within the nation’s legislative chamber.