28-Year-Old From Nepal Is One Climb Away From Setting a World Record in Mountain Climbing

Mountain climbing is no easy feat of endurance. It takes an incredible amount of grit and determination to be able to pull off such a feat. The attempt to scale something as high as 8,000 feet is preceded by months of hard work, planning, and turmoil. Today, we explore the story of Tejan Gurung, who has his eyes set on making mountain climbing history.

Tejan has just finished scaling Mt Cho Oyu on October 3. This is the 13th mountain with a peak higher than 8,000 meters that he has scaled. Soon, he will attempt to scale his world-record 15th peak over the 8,000-meter mark. That’s right, Tejan is now on the way to the base camp of Shishapangma in Tibet to accomplish his mission. What’s more impressive is that he is just 28 years old!

Eyes on the world record

Born in 1995, Tejan lived in Nepal until 2005, his family moved to the United Kingdom after his father retired from the Gurkhas. Until this point, the family had a very happy life in Pokhara, with Tejan attending the local school and being very active in sports from an early. Now, Tejan has one more mountain to climb to achieve two incredible honors. By climbing the Shishapangma, Tejan is set to become the youngest British male to summit all 8,000m peaks and the fastest team to climb all the big five mountains in Pakistan. The current record is held by Mingma David Sherpa, who completed all 14 highest peaks at just 30 years and 166 days in 2019.

Read More: 24-year-old Katie Lamb Creates History by Climbing to an Altitude of 10,396 ft in Her ‘Box Therapy’ Ascent

Inspired by his father, Tejan joined the military in 2014 when he was just 19 years old. He started as a Royal Engineer, later qualifying for the All-Arms Commando Course. With the discipline of an athlete and the fitness of a soldier, Tejan didn’t take too long to start scaling mountains. He scaled his first 8,000-meter peaks – Everest and Lhotse – in May 2022. Often referred to as the Mountain Yeti, Tejan is among his team’s best climbers, using his military expertise to his and his team’s advantage.

Tejan says, “Nepal is part of my heritage, so my love for the Big Mountains and its people have always been in my heart; I’ve always known this is where I want to be from a very young age – the mountains were my backyard.”

Tejan’s zeal and determination

Those who have climbed with Tejan see him as an inspirational figure. Tejan’s former climbing partner Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja claimed his focus and resilience are unmatched. He added that Tejan was very aware that there was a time for seriousness and planning and a time when you can relax and have a laugh.

“I am proud we have both been able to wave the flag for our motherland, Nepal, and show the world its beauty,” Nims concluded. Once Tejan climbs Shishapangma, he plans to help inspire others to achieve their dreams. He also intends to continue to share the wonders Nepal has to offer both on and off the mountains.

Watch This Story: 5 Crucial Mountain Biking Habits to Master Immediately