KATHMANDU: Veteran mountaineer, tourism professional and social activist Lakhphuti Sherpa says she aims to champion tourism-friendly and inclusive policies as she contests the March 5 House of Representatives elections under the proportional representation system from the Ujyalo Nepal Party.

A respected figure from the Sherpa community, Sherpa says her political entry is driven by a long-standing commitment to sustainable tourism, women’s leadership and the aspirations of Gen Z, particularly in mountain and rural regions where tourism remains a key livelihood.

Sherpa brings to politics more than four decades of hands-on experience in mountaineering, skiing and tourism management. A graduate with specialized training in Sustainable Tourism Market Linkage (2007) from Wageningen University and Maastricht Management College, the Netherlands, she is regarded as one of Nepal’s pioneers in professionalizing mountain tourism.

Her mountaineering career includes serving as Deputy Team Leader of the First Nepalese Women’s Everest Expedition in 1993, alongside national icon Pasang Lhamu Sherpa. She herself climbed Mount Everest in 1993, and earlier summited Mera Peak (1978/79), Amphu Lapchha (1978), Island Peak (1982) and Gyachung-related peaks in the early 1990s.

Equally notable is her contribution to mountain skiing, where she became the first Nepali to ski from the summits of several European peaks, including Allalinhorn (Switzerland), Mont Blanc massif peaks in France, Grand Paradiso (Italy) and other Alpine mountains between 1985 and 1988.

Beyond the mountains, Sherpa has played a defining role in institutional development. She served as Executive Director of Mountain Academy Nepal for over six years and earlier as its executive member, helping transform mountaineering from a purely experiential pursuit into an academic discipline. This effort led to the launch of the world’s first bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in mountaineering and adventure tourism.

Her leadership extends across numerous organizations. She has served as President of the Nepal Women Mountaineering Association, Chairperson of Ashah Orphanage and Himalayan Handicraft Development, and held executive roles in bodies such as TAAN, Nepal Mountaineering Federation, Nepal Sherpa Association, Nepal Sherpa Association, Pasang Lhamu Foundation and the Babu Chhiri Memorial Foundation. She is also Managing Director of Adventure Sisters Treks & Expedition and Executive Director of Sherpa & Swiss Adventure Pvt Ltd. She has also served as Advisor in Sherpa Association Nepal, and Himalayan Sherpa Cultures.

A writer as well, Sherpa authored “Himalma Chalis Barsa” (40 Years in the Mountains), chronicling her life in the high Himalaya and the evolution of Nepal’s mountaineering sector.

In recognition of her national contribution, Sherpa was awarded the prestigious “Rastra Yashobardhak Alangkar” by the President of Nepal, honouring her role as an icon of women in tourism and her courage in reshaping mountaineering education.

As she steps into electoral politics, Sherpa says her priority is to bridge policy and practice, ensuring Nepal’s tourism sector becomes sustainable, youth-oriented and globally competitive, while safeguarding mountain communities that have long stood at the heart of the industry.