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2000
Babu
Chiri Sherpa (Nepal)
Babu
Chiri has climbed to the top of the world ten times. He has reached the Everest summit
faster than anyone else. He has stayed longer. In Nepal he is the best-known climbing
Sherpa alive today and, following his accomplishments on Mount Everest this spring, his
name is becoming known worldwide.
 Babu’s accomplishments on Everest are the stuff of
legends. In May 1999 he camped at the summit, spending 21 hours at 29,000 ft without
supplemental oxygen. This year he set out to climb from Base Camp to the top in world
record time. He succeeded on May 20, reaching the summit in 15 hours and 56 minutes. And
he did it in the midst of a demanding work schedule. Early in May he had climbed alone to
27,400 feet to fix ropes for the 21 expeditions waiting to climb Everest this spring.
Babu Chiri was born in 1966, the son of a farmer in the
Solu Khumbu region, near the base of Mount Everest, where Babu now earns his living as a
high-altitude guide. Unlike many of his compatriots who toil in relative obscurity, Babu
Chiri has sought the attention of western media and sponsors. He spends part of each year
in San Francisco where he helps design outdoor equipment for gear manufacturer Mountain
Hardwear. He is the executive director of Nomad Expeditions, a Nepali trekking and tour
company, and the father of six daughters.
Babu Chiri's motivation behind his drive to climb higher
and faster than anyone else on earth is surprisingly simple. He does it to give his
daughters a better life and to ensure they will get a good education. With the help of his
sponsors, Babu hopes to build a school in his home village. Right now the 120 children who
live there walk for hours to reach a classroom.
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