Sherpa siblings eye for new Everest record

By Binaj Gurbacharya for The Associated Press

Between the three of them, the Sherpa brothers have climbed Mount Everest 16 times. The eldest raced up the world's highest mountain in eight hours and 10 minutes, the record for the fastest-ever ascent.

Now, the trio want to scale Everest together, and they aim to break the record for time spent at the summit, known as "the death zone," by staying at the 29,035-foot (8,850-meter) peak for 24 hours. Most climbers linger there for only a few minutes, just long enough to take a photograph from the top of the world.

"It is going to be difficult but I know we can do it," said Pemba Dorje, 31, the oldest brother. "I feel safer on the mountain trail than on the city streets."

Dorje and his brothers, Nima Gyalzen, 23, and Phurba Tenzing, 20, hail from a family of climbers, and grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas. They have each worked many times as Sherpas, or mountain guides known for their knowledge and endurance.

For their trip together, which they begin Saturday, they plan to guide foreign climbers and share their permit to cut down on the hefty expenses, which can run as high as $70,000 per team. They hope to reach the summit by mid-May.

They also plan to take along with them icons from Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam to leave at the mountain's peak.

"We will take these items to the summit and pray for world peace," Dorje said.
The brothers know all too well the dangers they face.

They have seen many climbers get sick at the summit, and in 2007 Dorje saw a Japanese man die just minutes after reaching the top.

The extreme cold weather, low air pressure, brain-starving low level of oxygen, high winds and blizzard conditions will hardly allow the brothers to sleep.

Babu Chhiri, a veteran mountaineer who died in 2001 during an expedition, spent 21 hours at the summit in 1999 — the current record — and later said he was afraid if he slept, he would not wake up.

Dorje said he has spent significant time in past expeditions in heights above 26,000 feet (8,000 meters) and he and his brothers are prepared for the harsh conditions.

"We are going to be praying a lot, taking notes of the changing temperatures and the effect it has on the human bodies," he said.

Amid his preparations in Katmandu, Dorje said he was not scared. "I am not afraid to die on the mountains."