Apa finds a place in Guinness records

(Courtesy of The Kathmandu Post)

After Chandra Bahadur Dangi, who was on Sunday recognised as the shortest living man and the shortest ever documented, Nepali mountaineer Apa Sherpa managed to get himself into the Guinness World Records (GWR).

Sherpa, who has climbed Mount Everest 21 times, was handed over a certificate by GWR Editor-in-chief Craig Glenday on Monday at a function at Shree Saraswati Higher Secondary School in Gyalthum, Sindhupalchowk.

“It feels great to receive this honour as Glenday himself has travelled this far to hand over the certificate. I feel proud to be identified all over the world,” Sherpa beamed. The 52-year-old broke his own record by reaching the top of the highest peak on May 11, 2011 for the 21st time. “What Sherpa has achieved is unbelievable. He is not just a local hero but hero of the world. He is an inspiration to millions of people. It is a great

privilege to hand him the official certificate,” Glenday said. “The trip to Nepal has been amazing so far. It feels like I’ve been here for ever,” he added.

Sherpa now plans to travel only to the base of the Everest. “I hope our younger generation will manage to set new records,” he said. He is currently walking The Great Himalayan Trail along with his team members Dawa

Stephen Sherpa, Saurabh Dhakal and Sameer Jung Thapa, as part of a campaign to promote tourism and highlight the impact of climate change. The team that plans to walk 1,700 km has covered seven districts and a distance of 590 km so far.