Sona Chhiri Sherpa

Biography

Sona Chhiri Sherpa was born in Kharikhola, a village at 2,020m in the Solukhumbu District, within the Mount Everest region of Nepal. Growing up in this legendary mountain landscape shaped his path early on, leading him toward a lifelong career guiding climbers through some of the highest and most demanding peaks on Earth.

Over the years, Sona Chhiri has built an extraordinary record in high altitude mountaineering, standing on the summit of Mount Everest five times, a rare achievement that reflects both his physical strength and his deep understanding of the mountain's ever-changing moods. His expertise doesn't stop at Everest. He has also summited K2, the world's second-highest and one of its most technically demanding peaks, along with Lhotse and Cho Oyu, two more of the fourteen 8,000m giants.

Beyond the world's tallest mountains, Sona Chhiri has led successful expeditions on a wide range of Himalayan peaks, including Ama Dablam, Broad Peak, Cholatse, and Nirekha, along with popular trekking peaks like Mera Peak, Island Peak, Lobuche Peak, and Kyajo Ri. This breadth of experience makes him equally capable of guiding first-time high altitude climbers and seasoned mountaineers chasing their next 8,000m summit.

Training & Achievements

Sona Chhiri Sherpa's climbing record speaks to a career built on consistency, skill, and an unshakable connection to the mountains. With five successful summits of Mount Everest, he ranks among the most accomplished guides in the region, having navigated the world's highest peak through vastly different seasons and conditions.

His summit of K2 at 8,611m stands out as one of his most significant achievements, given the mountain's reputation as one of the most dangerous and technically challenging climbs in the world. Paired with his summits of Lhotse (8,516m), Cho Oyu (8,188m), and Broad Peak (8,047m), Sona Chhiri has proven himself on four separate 8,000m peaks, a distinction held by only a small number of climbers globally.

His experience across mid-range peaks such as Ama Dablam, Cholatse, and Nirekha, along with his guiding work on Mera Peak, Island Peak, Lobuche Peak, and Kyajo Ri, further reflects his versatility. Whether leading a technical ascent above 8,000m or guiding a trekking peak expedition, Sona Chhiri brings the same level of care, precision, and calm leadership to every climb.

Expeditions Completed

Everest 8,848m (5 times)
K2 8,611m
Ama Dablam 6,812m
Lhotse 8,516m
Cho Oyu 8,188m
Kyajo Ri 6,186m
Cholatse 6,440m
Nirekha 6,159m
Mera Peak 6,474m
Lobuche Peak 6,119m
Island Peak 6,160m
Broad Peak 8047m

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 Barnaby Francis (UK) - Climber Prakash Sherpa (Nepal) - Climber Ngima Tashi Sherpa (Nepal) - Assistant 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 →

Never Miss a
Summit Moment

Sona Chhiri Sherpa

Sona Chhiri Sherpa

Biography

Training & Achievements

Expeditions Completed

From the Summit

Dispatches from the Mountains

Chhuama IV First Ascent Report 2026

Kyajo Ri Expedition Report 2022

Cholatse Expedition Report 2022

Sona Chhiri Sherpa

Sona Chhiri Sherpa

Biography

Training & Achievements

Expeditions Completed

From the Summit

Dispatches from the Mountains

Chhuama IV First Ascent Report 2026

Kyajo Ri Expedition Report 2022

Cholatse Expedition Report 2022

Never Miss a Summit Moment

Never Miss a
Summit Moment