March 09, 2017
Phurba Tashi Sherpa Mendewa is a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer, born 1971 known for his numerous ascents of major Himalayan peaks.He holds the record for the most total ascents of eight-thousanders, with 30. These include twenty-one ascents of Mount Everest, five on Cho Oyu, two on Manaslu, and one each on Shishapangma and Lhotse. In 2009 Tashi was featured in the Discovery Channel series Everest: Beyond the Limit.He is the central figure in the 2015 documentary Sherpa which recounts events surrounding the 2014 Mount Everest ice avalanche, after which Tashi retired.He reached the summit of Everest 21 times, including three times in the 2007 season alone. He lives in Khumjung, Nepal.
Phurba Tashi took the 2016 season off from climbing, in the previous half-year he lost both of his parents. In 2016, Tashi stayed at base camp and worked for Russel Brice with his Himex guide firm (one of the most respected guide firms at Everest)