Phunjo Jhangmu Lama, a helicopter long-line sling rescuer, has etched her name in mountaineering history.

She has reclaimed the title for the fastest ascent of Everest by any woman in the world. In a breathtaking display of human capability, she completed the ascent of the world’s highest mountain at 24 hours and 26 minutes on Thursday.

Khim Lal Gautam, the Everest base camp coordinator deputed by the government, said that Lama started her ascent from the base camp, situated at an altitude of 5,364 metres, at 3:52 pm on May 22. She reached the summit, towering at 8,848.86 metres, at 6:23 am on Thursday (May 23).

She returned to the base camp at 4:18 pm the same day, completing the climb in 24 hours and 26 minutes.

According to the mountaineering rules, climbers should begin and end their journey in the base camp to claim any title.

Lama, on May 17, 2018, had climbed Everest in 39 hours and 6 minutes.

But after three years, in 2021, Hong Kong’s Tsang Yin-Hung scaled the peak in 25 hours and 50 minutes, snatching Lama’s converted title.

In the male category, Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa holds the record for the fastest ascent of Everest, reaching the summit and the base camp, in 18 hours 20 minutes in 2003.

Gelu started the climb at 5:00 pm on May 25, 2003, and reached the summit at 3:56 am on May 26. He returned to base camp at 11:20 am on the 26th.

According to the Department of Tourism, more than 500 individuals have climbed Everest, which means 60 percent of the climbs this season have been completed by Thursday.

The Department of Tourism has issued 421 permits for fee-paying climbers for this spring climbing season, which began on May 10 and lasts until May 29. With each climber requiring at least one climbing guide, there were an estimated 900 individuals aspiring to scale Everest this season.

Despite bad conditions and a small window of weather, several mountaineers have scripted history.

Kami Rita Sherpa climbed Everest twice to take his tally to 30 climbs.

Dawa Finjok Sherpa became the fastest man to climb Everest three times in just eight days.

Likewise, Royal Bhutan Army Lieutenant Jigme Pelden Dorje became the first Bhutanese to summit the world’s highest mountain. Costa Rican Ligia Maria Madrigal Moya reached the summit of Everest on Thursday morning, becoming the first woman from her country to achieve the feat. Lucia Janičová became the first Slovakian female to summit Everest.

RISING CASUALTIES

While celebrating success, casualties have also been rising on the mountain. According to Gautam, the base camp coordinator, so far, five people have died, and three are missing.

A renowned Kenyan climber Cheruiyot Kirui died a few metres below the Everest summit on Thursday. His Sherpa guide Nawang Sherpa has gone missing.

British climber Daniel Paul Paterson and his Sherpa guide Pastenji have gone missing in the death zone. The duo were returning after reaching the summit on May 21. Officials say hopes of finding survivors are slim.

“We regret to inform you that a cornice collapse occurred yesterday [May 21] at Hillary Step. Two of our brave team members, Daniel Paul Paterson of the UK and Pastenji Sherpa, are missing. Eyewitnesses reported the incident took place between Summit Ridge and South Summit, and some climbers were swept away in Kangshung Face,” Lakpa Sherpa, managing director of 8K Expeditions, the agency managing Paterson climb, wrote on his Facebook page.

“Our dedicated search and rescue teams are deployed on the ground. They are working tirelessly to locate our missing climbers. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families during this challenging time.”

The bodies of two Mongolian climbers were found on May 17, four days after they went missing.

Binod Babu Bastakoti from Lekhnath in Kaski district died on Wednesday near the south Col while descending from the summit.

Romanian climber Gabriel Viorel Tabara was found dead in Camp III (7,470 m) in his tent on May 20.

Nearly 8,800 mountaineers have summited Everest from the Nepal side since Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and New Zealander Edmund Hillary first set foot atop the world’s highest peak in 1953.