Peregrine leader summits Everest

On 21 May 2011 at 8am one of our local leaders Jangbu reached the summit of Mt Everest. Jangbu has been leading tours in Nepal for us for ten years and is the second Peregrine leader to summit Everest. We decided to quiz Jangbu on his climb to find out what it really takes to reach the top of the world…

How long have you wanted to summit Everest?
Climbing Everest was my dream since I started mountaineering in 2006.

What made you decide that you were going to take up the challenge?
After summiting Ama Dablam in 2009 which is a much technical mountain to climb, I was mentally prepared to take on Everest.

What appealed about the summit trek?
Mountaineering is not just my job but it is my passion too.

How much preparation and training did you do?
I didn't do any additional physical training because the nature of my work leading treks with Peregrine prepared me for this expedition. And I already had all the necessary equipment that I needed for the expedition so it didn't take much time to prepare myself.

What did your training involve?
Well, last winter in February 2011 I completed my Aspirant Guide Course in the Rolwaling region in Nepal where I also climbed a few peaks. So I was physically fit and did not have to undergo much training to climb Everest.

What were the items you packed that you couldn't have done without?
Just the very important gear like a down suit, down mittens, thick woollen socks, climbing boots, woollen hat, oxygen mask and regulator, four bottles of oxygen and all the other necessary trekking gear.

When the trek became tough what helped you continue forward?
Motivation, suggestion and encouragement from my fellow climbers was very helpful in making me continue forward.

What did it feel like when you finally reached the top?
I really felt like I had achieved something great in my life and I can never forget that experience.

What do you consider the highlight of the experience?
Getting to the top of the world was just amazing and unforgettable.

When you returned home how did your family and friends react?
I am so happy to know that all my family, friends and colleagues were even happier for me when I got back home safely after summit. More importantly, my fiancé flew all the way from the other side of the world to meet me after I summated! She has been supportive and had complete faith in me to achieve my goal.

Was there anything else that happened on the trek that you didn't expect? (i.e. something exciting or an additional challenge you had to overcome?)
Coming down from South Col after the summit carrying around 35kgs on my forehead was an experience because I had have never done that before. And on another occasion, one of the climbers from our team fell off a ladder while crossing a crevasse. That was a very scary moment but luckily nothing major happened.

Do you have any advice for others who are dreaming of conquering the summit themselves?
Just want to suggest that aspiring climbers should be dedicated and physically fit both in mind and body. One needs to have a lot of patience to achieve ones dreams and goals.

Jangbu – everyone at Peregrine takes their hat off to such a remarkable effort in reaching the top of the world, congratulations!
Thank you for your support!

Without the help of high altitude sherpas like Jangbu it would be impossible for many of us to attempt a challenge like summiting Everest. Even reaching Base Camp or trekking the Annapurna would become a much less accessible activity for most of us. We appreciate the dedication of all our sherpas and thank them for the experiences that they enable us to have.

Listen to Jangbu Sherpa speak about his Everest summit, in an interview with Paddy Scott below.

Please share any words of support for Jangbu below in the comments section.

For more travel stories, photos and tips follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook.

View our online Himalaya & India Brochure.

• Tweet