KATHMANDU: The Department of Tourism (DoT) under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has released the official ‘Facts and Figures of Nepal’s Mountaineering’—a document riddled with incomplete and inaccurate information, as spotted by T3.

The ‘Mountaineering in Nepal, Facts and Figures – 2025’ report, obtained by The Tourism Times, claims that British climber Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja successfully summited all 14 mountains above 8,000 meters in six months and six days, becoming the fastest person to do so in 2019. However, Purja actually completed all 14 peaks in just 2.5 years, according to verified records.

Evidence also suggests he never reached the true summit of Mt. Dhaulagiri or the main summit of Mt. Manaslu during his initial attempt. He later re-climbed both peaks in 2021 to reach their true summits, completing all 14 in two years, five months, and 15 days in total.

Additionally, the DoT document fails to acknowledge Tenjen Lama Sherpa, who—alongside Kristin Harila—scaled all 14 peaks in a record 92 days in July 2023, breaking Purja’s previous record. Tragically, Tenjen passed away on October 7, 2023,  during an expedition on Shishapangma in Tibet.

The report also inaccurately lists Mingma David Sherpa as the youngest climber to complete all 14 peaks at age 31, overlooking Nepal’s actual record-holder, Nima Rinji Sherpa, who achieved the feat at just 18 years old in October 2024.

Furthermore, the publicly available document undermines the achievements of other legendary Nepali climbers, including Mingma G Sherpa, who became the first Nepali to summit all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen in October 2024.

The DoT’s data book also recognizes Pemba Dorjee Sherpa for setting a world record for the fastest Everest ascent, claiming he summited from Base Camp in 8 hours and 10 minutes on May 21, 2004. However, in November 2017, Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered the annulment of this record after another climber, Lakpa Gelu Sherpa- who held a prior record of 10 hours and 56 minutes set in 2003—challenged Pemba Dorjee’s claim.

In 2018, the DoT itself upheld the court’s decision, revoking Pemba Dorjee’s certification as the fastest Everest summiteer.

DoT also makes mockery of the real world records on mountaineering. 

The list under the world record category mentioned in the DoT report says, “Sagarmatha Height Measurement Exp. 2019 team, led by Chief Survey Officer Mr. Khim Lal Gautam of Government of Nepal, successfully climbed Mount Everest on 22 May 2019 and installed the equipments on the top. 

He is the first Civil Servant and Surveyor to summit Mt. Everest twice. He is also the highest-ranking government official summited Mt. Everest upto date. 

On 8 December, the Foreign Minister of Nepal and the Foreign Minister of China jointly announced the new height of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) to be 8,848.86 metres as per the data provided by Sagarmatha Height Measurement Exp. 2019.” 

The above mentioned information never falls under the world record category in the mountaineering world.

Link to the complete report: Mountaineering in Nepal_Fact & Figures_2023_Latest 3_Final.indd