(L to R) Nema Sherpa, Dorjee Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa, October 31, 2008 atop Ama Dablam. Six months later these three were also among the first to reach Everest's summit.

Just passing along some recent good news. On May 5th Phurba Tashi, Dorjee and Nema, along with two sherpa from IMG and British climber David Tait, summited Mount Everest. Their efforts fixing the route to the 29,035 foot summit marks the first summits of the year and thus officially opens the route for the season on the mountain’s south side.

Their huge effort is deserving of congratulations, though historically last Tuesday’s summits have become something of the norm for them, as Phurba Tashi and his sherpa team have traditionally helped establish the route on the mountain’s north side. After last year’s decision by China to bar all north side expeditions expeditions via Tibet(due to fear of Tibet related protests during their hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympics) and with some continued uncertainty from Chinese authorities this year, they are now climbing out of Nepal, for Himalayan Experience, on Everest’s south side.

The news of Tuesday’s summits is reminiscent of October 31, 2008, when read more>>>