Senior climbing guide Kili Pemba Sherpa of Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition reached the summit of Nanga Parbat (8,125m) this morning, completing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. He stood on top alongside fellow guide Lakpa Chhiri Sherpa and Chinese climber Wang Zhong on July 3 at 10:42 am PKT.
Nanga Parbat, lying on the borderline between Pakistan and India, is known as the King of Mountains. Standing at 8,125m, it is the world’s ninth-highest peak. “Nanga” means naked and “Parbat” means mountain, while locals know it by its Tibetan name, Diamer or Deo Mir, meaning “huge mountain.” It forms the western anchor of the Himalayan Range as the westernmost eight-thousander, separated from the Karakoram by the mighty Indus River.
Nanga Parbat Summit Update 2026
The team arrived at Nanga Parbat Base Camp on June 30 and, making the most of a favorable weather window, continued straight to Camp 1 the same day. They climbed to Camp 2 on July 1, reached Camp 3 on July 2, and launched their summit push that night. By the morning of July 3, all three climbers were standing on the summit of the world’s ninth-highest mountain.
The expedition moved quickly from the start. Wang Zhong flew to Islamabad on June 26 and on to Skardu the next day. A six-hour jeep ride brought the team to Chilas on June 28, and they began the trek toward Base Camp on June 29, reaching that evening. From Base Camp to summit took just four days.
Kili Pemba Sherpa: A Career Defined at the Highest Altitudes
Born in Rolwaling village of Dolakha District, Nepal, a remote valley in the country’s northeast that borders China and is separated from the Everest region by the famous Tashi Lapcha Pass Kili Pemba Sherpa has spent his career among the world’s highest mountains. He works as a senior climbing guide with Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition.
With today’s ascent of Nanga Parbat, Kili joins the small circle of mountaineers who have climbed all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters — one of the rarest accomplishments in high-altitude climbing. His record is extraordinary by any measure: he has climbed Everest 15 times and K2 twice.
Among his most celebrated achievements is his part in the first-ever winter ascent of K2 on January 16, 2021. K2 was the last of the eight-thousanders never climbed in winter, a challenge that had defeated expeditions for decades due to brutal cold and relentless winds. Kili was one of the 10 Nepali climbers who reached the summit together that day, a moment of national pride that made mountaineering history worldwide.
That same year, Kili was one of the key Sherpas alongside Mingma G when they pioneered the route to the true summit of Manaslu. For years, most climbers had unknowingly stopped short of the mountain’s actual highest point. Their 2021 climb corrected this long-standing error in summit records and rewrote Manaslu’s climbing history every true summit ascent since follows the route they established.
Kili’s reputation as a guide extends well beyond his personal milestones. In 2018, he guided Chinese double-leg amputee climber Xia Boyu to the summit of Everest on his fifth attempt, ending a quest that had spanned more than four decades. In 2021, he accompanied Russian double-leg amputee Rustam Nabiev to the summit of Manaslu. These climbs stand as powerful testaments to his skill, patience, and dedication at extreme altitude, the qualities that define a true high-altitude guide.
Picture of Kili Pemba Sherpa
Wang Zhong: Eleven Down, Three to Go
Today’s summit marks Wang Zhong’s 11th eight-thousander. The Chinese climber now has three peaks remaining — Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak, and Shishapangma — all of which he plans to complete later this year.
Wang first joined the Imagine Nepal team on Mount Everest in 2021 and has climbed 10 of his 11 peaks with the team. His first 8,000-meter summit was Cho Oyu, which he climbed with a Tibetan team. Once he completes the remaining three peaks, China will gain one more climber in the elite fraternity of 14×8,000-meter summiteers, placing him among the world’s finest high-altitude mountaineers.
Lakpa Chhiri Sherpa
Lakpa Chhiri Sherpa climbed alongside Kili and Wang throughout the expedition, playing a vital role in the team’s swift and successful four-day push from Base Camp to the summit.
Heartfelt congratulations to Kili Pemba Sherpa, Wang Zhong, and Lakpa Chhiri Sherpa on this remarkable achievement. As the team begins their journey down, we wish them a safe and smooth descent back to Base Camp.