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Prakash Sherpa

Biography


Prakash Sherpa is the founder and CEO of Alpinist Climber Expeditions (ACE), and a certified IFMGA Mountain Guide, one of the most demanding qualifications a mountaineer can hold anywhere in the world. Since 2011, he has worked professionally as a guide, building a career shaped by technical mastery, rigorous international training, and an unrelenting passion for high altitude climbing. Over more than a decade in the mountains, he has led climbers across some of the most extreme terrain on Earth, from Nepal's towering 8,000m giants to the technical faces of Europe and New Zealand, earning a reputation as one of the region's most accomplished and trusted guides. That same experience now shapes how he leads Alpinist Climber Expeditions today.

 

 

A family legacy in the mountains

 

Prakash didn't discover the mountains on his own. He was raised into them. His grandparents, father, and uncle were all respected alpine guides in their time, and it was under their guidance that Prakash took his first real steps into the profession that would define his life. At just 15 years old, he summited Mera Peak (6,476m) for the first time, a moment that set the direction for everything that followed. There was no turning back from there. Opportunities to work and climb in high mountains around the world began opening up, taking him from the Himalayas to the Alps of Europe and the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

 

 

8,000m summits, four without oxygen

 

Over the years, Prakash has built one of the most demanding climbing records among Nepal's mountain guides. He has successfully summited six of the world's fourteen 8,000m peaks: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu and K2. What sets his record apart is that four of these, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, and Manaslu, were climbed without supplementary oxygen, a feat that demands not just physical strength but an intimate understanding of how the body performs in the death zone. His technical range extends further still, with summits of Nuptse, Pumori, and Ama Dablam, peaks known as much for their difficulty as their beauty.

 

 

Certified at the highest level

 

Prakash holds the IFMGA / UIAGM / IVBV Mountain Guide certification, the same internationally recognised qualification held by only a small number of guides across Nepal. His training goes well beyond climbing technique, covering Helicopter Rescue and Marshalling, Advanced and Basic Mountaineering, Wilderness First Aid, Recco Rescue, and multiple levels of ski training completed across Nepal, Switzerland, Austria, and Chamonix. This layered training, built over more than a decade, is what allows him to lead expeditions with the calm, decisive judgment that high altitude mountaineering demands.

 

 

A career that spans continents

 

Between 2018 and 2025, Prakash summited Mount Everest five times and added a summit of K2 in 2025, cementing his place among guides with proven experience on the world's most extreme peaks. His expedition record below 8,000m is just as extensive, with dozens of climbs across Nepal's most technical mountains, Pumori, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Kyajo Ri, Cholatse,  Lobuche East, Mera Peak, Island Peak and Himlung Himal among them, including a notable 2022 speed ascent of Himlung Himal alongside German ski mountaineer Benedikt Böhm.

 

His guiding work has also taken him abroad, leading climbs across New Zealand's Southern Alps, including Mount Cook and Mount Aspiring, and across the Alps of Europe, from the Matterhorn to Grossglockner. Alongside his expedition career, Prakash has guided trekkers through nearly every major trekking region in Nepal, from the Everest Base Camp and Three Passes treks to remote routes like Upper and Lower Dolpo and the Makalu Base Camp Trek.

 

 

Guiding Beyond The Summit

 

Today, Prakash leads Alpinist Climber Expeditions with the same discipline and care that shaped his own climbing career. As CEO, he ensures every expedition is built on thorough preparation, technical precision, and a genuine focus on each climber's safety and experience, standing on the summit is the goal, but for Prakash, the job isn't done until every climber is safely back down and carrying home a story worth telling.

 

He is a member of the IFMGA / UIAGM / IVBV, and NNMGA, He has been a sponsored athlete with Dynafit since 2021.

 

 

Mountaineering Training

  • IFMGA / UIAGM / IVBV Mountain Guide
  • Helicopter Rescue and Marshalling
  • Ski Level 1 Training (Nepal)
  • Ski Level 2 Training (Switzerland)
  • Ski Training (Chamonix)
  • Advance Mountaineering Training
  • Basic Mountaineering Training
  • Basic Rescue Training
  • Wilderness First Aid Training
  • Rock Climbing Level One Training
  • Ski Training (Austria)
  • Recco Rescue Training
  • First Aid Training
  • Maps and Compass Reading
  • Trekking Guide Training

 

Above 8000m Expeditions

  • Mount Everest 8,848m / 2018
  • Mount Everest 8,848m / 2019
  • Mount Everest 8,848m / 2021
  • Mount Everest 8,848m / 2024
  • Mount Everest 8,848m / 2025
  • Mount K2 8,611m / 2025
  • Mount Lhotse 8,516m / 2021
  • Mount Makalu 8,463m / 2016
  • Mount Cho Oyu 8,188m / 2023
  • Mount Dhaulagiri 8,167m / 2017
  • Mount Manaslu 8,163m / 2017

 

Above 6000m & 7000m Expeditions

  • Ama Dablam 6,812m (2017)
  • Ama Dablam 6,812m (2018)
  • Ama Dablam 6,812m (2019)
  • Cholatse 6,440m (2022)
  • Kyajo Ri 6,186m (2022)
  • Chulu West 6,419m (2016)
  • Lobuche east 6,119m (2022)
  • Mera Peak 6,476m (2021)
  • Island Peak 6,189m (2012)
  • Lobuche East 6,119m (2018)
  • Lobuche East 6,119m (2019)
  • Mera Peak 6,476m (2012)
  • Mera Peak 6,476m (2013)
  • Mera Peak 6,476m (2015)
  • Amphu Peak 6120m (2020)
  • Himlung Himal 7126m (2022)
  • Lobuche East 6119m (2022)
  • Ama Dablam 6,812m (2022)
  • Mera Peak 6,476m (2022)
  • Baruntse 7,162m (2022)
  • Himlung Himal 7126m (2022 - Speed Ascent)
  • Island Peak 6,160m (2023)
  • Pumori 7,161m (2023)
  • Nuptse 7,861m (2023)
  • Nirekha 6,159m (2024)
  • Spantik 7027m (2024)
  • Kyajo Ri 6186m (2024)
  • Cholatse 6440m (2024)
  • Kyajo Ri 6186m (2025)
  • Kyajo Ri 6186m (2025)
  • Mera Peak 6476m (2026) 
  • Chhuama IV 6179m (2026 - First Ascent) 

 

Guiding & Climbing in New Zealand

  • Mount Cook 3724m (2019)
  • Mount Aspiring 3083m (2019 - 2 times)
  • Mount Dixon 3004m (2019)
  • Tasman Glacier, Hochstein 3000m (2019)
  • Remarkables 2319m (2019 - 2 times)

 

Europe Alps

  • Grossglocker 3798m
  • Matterhorn 4778m
  • Mount Olympus 2918m

 

Member

  • IFMGA / UIAGM / IVBV
  • NNMGA

 

Athlete

  • Since 2021 with Dynafit
  • Former Brand Ambassador of EBC-5364
Client Stories

From the Summit

Daniel Puttkemery
Daniel Puttkemery
Kyajo Ri Expedition
5/5 Rating
★★★★★
“

Prakash and his team are a couple of notches above totally professional! Everyone in the Alpinist Climber Expeditions family goes out of their way to provide the best possible experience. Superb core values and safety principles. I had the good fortune of climbing Kyajo Ri with Alpinist Climber Expeditions and I can not say enough positive things. All gear is first rate, exceptional food and beautiful base camp in particular. I have climbed with a few different outfits in the past, now I need look no further, whenever I’m in the Himalaya. I will only climb with Alpinist Climber Expeditions. It sounds cliche but they very much made me feel like family. Top marks to a top outfit!

”
Verified Client Story
Luca Smargiasso
Luca Smargiasso
Ama Dablam 6,812m
5/5 Rating
★★★★★
“

I have been climbing for 15 years, over 4 continents. This was my 3rd trip to Nepal. And this was undoubtedly one of the Best-organised expeditions have participated in. Cannot thank Prakash and his Team enough. The attention to detail both in terms of equipment, climbing conditions, and accommodation/food was outstanding. And despite having limited exposure to high altitude alpine style climbing, always felt comfortable in the climbs and approach. I put this down to Prakash and his experience as well as the unique approach to team size. The small team ensures that a more flexible and sensible approach is applied to all technical aspects of the climb-including importantly how you physically feel and acclimatise. I needed to spend 5 days at Namche due to a sinus infection, and never felt that this jeopardised the rest of my climb. The same goes for weather delays. I eventually overran the climbing calendar by 5 days without a single complaint from Prakash and his team. You feel like a climbing partner rather than a paying client. My only regret is that Alpinist Climber Expeditions does not have a more international footprint as would have liked to climb with Prakash and his Team internationally as well as in Nepal.

”
Verified Client Story
Andy Tronsberg
Andy Tronsberg
Kyajo Ri & Island Peak
5/5 Rating
★★★★★
“Perfect organised and guided expedition I ever took part! We climbed island peak and kyajo ri alpine style! Safety is always first, all team members are super kind and professional and also laughing comes not to short! Thanks for this unforgettable experience!! Andreas.

”
Verified Client Story
Rogier Keulen
Rogier Keulen
Mt. Kyajo Ri & Mt. Cholatse
5/5 Rating
★★★★★
“With IFMGA guide Prakash we climbed Kyajo Ri and Cholatse. Our expedition couldn't have been any better! We had a lot of fun and summiting stunning Cholatse is the most intense thing I've done. We did it alpine style, so without fixed ropes from bottom to top. Safety was a priority - Prakash summited Everest 3 times and is always in control - and we had a very strong drive to reach the summit - which we did!”
Verified Client Story
Ludwig Beer
Ludwig Beer
Baruntse 7,162m + Mera Peak 6,476m
5/5 Rating
★★★★★
“Vielen Dank lieber Pemba für die tolle Zeit. Deine Professionalität und stete Fürsorge waren allgegenwärtig. Die gute Planung, der Ablauf und die gute Stimmung waren großartig. Mit Dir und Deinem Team fühlt man sich wohl am Berg. Dadurch ist der Erfolg gesichert!”
Verified Client Story
Christiaan Jong
Christiaan Jong
Mt. Kyajo Ri & Mt. Cholatse
5/5 Rating
★★★★★
“The Kyajo Ri and Cholatse climbing expedition I did with Alpinist Climber Expeditions was great! Our guide Prakash is a very strong and professional guide.
We share our values regarding alpine-style climbing and succeeded on both summits in a very safe manner.
Apart from the climbing, the whole team was super supportive, helpful, and friendly. Nothing was too much to ask.
For future expeditions or other endeavors in the mountains, I would definitely reach out to Alpinist Climber Expeditions again.”
Verified Client Story
Expedition Journal

Dispatches from the Mountains

All Articles
Chhuama IV First Ascent Report 2026
Expedition Report

Chhuama IV First Ascent Report 2026

  In July 2026, a team from Alpinist Climber Expeditions climbed Chhuama IV, a 6,179-metre peak in the Mustang region of Nepal that no one had ever summited before. On 16 July, IFMGA Mountain Guide and Dynafit athlete Prakash Sherpa reached the top at 3:21 PM Nepal time, after teammate Barnaby Francis turned back roughly 250 metres from the summit because of dangerous rockfall. Six earlier permit teams had tried and failed to climb Chhuama IV. This was the seventh attempt, and it succeeded — making it the first recorded ascent of the mountain. This is the story of that expedition: how the team got to the mountain, what the route was actually like, and what happened during the final push to the summit.   About Alpinist Climber Expeditions Alpinist Climber Expeditions is a Nepal-based expedition company that has been running alpine-style expeditions in the Himalayan ranges of Nepal since 2021. The Chhuama IV climb fits the kind of objective the company tends to take on: a lesser-known peak, a small team, and a route that hadn't been fully worked out by anyone before them. Alpine-style climbing generally means moving with a small team and minimal fixed infrastructure on the mountain, relying on judgment and route-finding rather than large-scale siege tactics — and that approach mattered on Chhuama IV, where conditions changed quickly and decisions had to be made on the spot.   The Peak and Why This Expedition  Was Different Chhuama IV sits in the Mustang region of Nepal and stands 6,179 metres high. Before this expedition, six other permit teams had attempted the mountain. None of them reached the top. That history says something about the peak — this wasn't a case of nobody having tried. Climbers had gone up before, assessed the conditions, and turned back. Alpinist Climber Expeditions' team was the seventh group to hold a permit for Chhuama IV. Reaching the summit meant succeeding where six previous attempts hadn't, on a mountain with no established route and no prior summit to reference for conditions, timing, or line of ascent.   Preparing for the Expedition and the Approach  to Base Camp The trip began on 9 July 2026 with a drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara, followed the next day by the long drive from Pokhara to Jomsom. On 11 July, the team continued by road from Jomsom to Lo Manthang, the historic walled town in Upper Mustang. The team spent 12 July acclimatizing in Lo Manthang before moving on. On 13 July they drove from Lo Manthang to Nymdo, and on 14 July they trekked from Nymdo to Base Camp. The following day, 15 July, they moved up from Base Camp to Lower High Camp — the last stop before the summit attempt. This slower, staged approach — drive, acclimatize, drive again, then trek up in stages to Base Camp and Lower High Camp — gave the team time to adjust to altitude before the technical climbing began.   Climbing Conditions on Chhuama IV Once the team got onto the mountain itself, the terrain turned out to be the main obstacle. The route up Chhuama IV involved long stretches of loose, unstable rock, slopes that could shift underfoot, and frequent rockfall. In the upper sections, there were only limited safe options for where to actually put a route, which meant the team had to keep reassessing the terrain as they climbed rather than following a fixed line. Weather added another layer of difficulty. Conditions changed often during the expedition, and on the day chosen for the summit push, the team had only a short window of favourable weather to work with. That combination — unstable ground below and a narrow weather window above — shaped almost every decision made on summit day.   The Summit Push : 16 July 2026 The team began its summit push from Lower High Camp on 16 July 2026. From early on, the upper mountain was hazardous. Rockfall was continuous, and the loose terrain meant every section had to be evaluated as they went, not assumed safe because it had been climbed before. Barnaby Francis climbed with the team through this section but made the decision to turn back approximately 250 metres below the summit. The reason was straightforward: the rockfall and the state of the terrain above made continuing unsafe. It was a judgment call made in the moment, based on what was actually happening on the mountain rather than on how close the summit looked. From that point, IFMGA Mountain Guide Prakash Sherpa continued alone. He worked through the difficult, unstable upper section and kept going where the conditions had stopped his teammate. This wasn't a case of pushing through recklessly — it reflects the kind of terrain assessment that comes with IFMGA-level guiding experience, where the decision to continue or turn back is made section by section.   Reaching the Summit Prakash Sherpa reached the summit of Chhuama IV, at 6,179 metres, at 3:21 PM Nepal Local Time on 16 July 2026. With six previous permit teams having failed to summit the mountain, this made Alpinist Climber Expeditions' team the first to do so. The expedition is recorded by the team as the first recorded ascent of Chhuama IV — a first ascent of a Nepal peak that had resisted six prior attempts before this one succeeded. After the summit, the team descended back toward Lower High Camp on the same day.     The Team's Experience  and the Way Down The climbing team for this expedition was small: Barnaby Francis from the United Kingdom, IFMGA Mountain Guide Prakash Sherpa, and Ngima Tashi Sherpa as supporter. On a mountain with unstable rock and shifting weather, decisions had to be made quickly and by people who knew the terrain — which is part of why Barnaby Francis's decision to turn back, and Prakash Sherpa's decision to continue, both mattered as much as the summit itself. The descent and return followed a similarly staged plan to the approach. On 17 July, the team trekked roughly 2.5 hours down from Lower High Camp before driving on to Pokhara. On 18 July, they completed the trip with the drive from Pokhara back to Kathmandu.   What Made This First Ascent  Significant Chhuama IV wasn't an easy objective, and it wasn't an obscure line that simply hadn't attracted attention. Six permit teams before Alpinist Climber Expeditions had tried to climb it and hadn't succeeded, which points to real difficulty rather than a lack of interest. The loose rock, the rockfall, and the narrow weather windows on summit day were the actual obstacles that had stopped previous attempts — and they were still present for this expedition. What changed the outcome wasn't a shortcut around those conditions. Barnaby Francis's decision to turn back 250 metres from the top, made because the risk was too high, and Prakash Sherpa's decision to continue where conditions allowed it, together produced the first known summit of the mountain. Both decisions came from reading the same terrain and weather correctly.   Conclusion The Chhuama IV expedition, carried out by Alpinist Climber Expeditions in July 2026, resulted in the first recorded ascent of Chhuama IV 6,179-metre peak in Nepal's Mustang region — a mountain that had already turned back six permit teams before this one. On 16 July 2026, after Barnaby Francis turned back roughly 250 metres below the summit due to rockfall and unstable terrain, IFMGA Mountain Guide Prakash Sherpa continued and reached the top at 3:21 PM Nepal time. It wasn't a straightforward climb, and the notes from the expedition don't describe it as one. Loose rock, frequent rockfall, and a narrow weather window shaped nearly every part of the summit day. Given that history, reaching the summit of Chhuama IV for the first time is a meaningful outcome — one built on careful, terrain-by-terrain decision-making rather than a single dramatic push to the top.     #GuidingBeyondTheSummit  #Dynafit 

Aug 12, 2026 Read Article →
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