In a powerful act that transcends borders and summit ambitions, two Nepali mountain guides have been honored with one of Asia’s most prestigious mountaineering awards. Riten Tashi Sherpa and Ashish Gurung have received South Korea’s Golden Ice Axe for their high-risk, voluntary recovery of a South Korean climber’s body from Mera Peak in October 2025. This marks the first time Nepali climbers have received this highest honor from South Korea.
Beyond its profound human story, this event has become a
catalyst for significant international collaboration, signaling a new chapter in
Nepal’s role in global mountaineering.
The Mission on Mera Peak
The incident unfolded on a Saturday in early October 2025,
when a 46-year-old South Korean climber and his Nepali guide went missing on
Mera Peak in the Solukhumbu district during deteriorating weather-8. A coordinated rescue effort was immediately launched by
the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA) and the Nepal
Mountaineering Association (NMA).
IFMGA-certified guides Riten Tashi Sherpa and Ashish Gurung
were deployed from Kathmandu on a high-altitude recovery mission. They
successfully located the team, rescued the Nepali guide, and recovered the body
of the Korean climber, who is believed to have succumbed to hypothermia, from
an altitude of around 5,800 meters (19,000 feet).
Understanding the Honor: The Golden Ice Axe
The award presented to Sherpa and Gurung is no ordinary
medal. In South Korea, the Golden Ice Axe refers to the prestigious
Piolet d'Or Asia honors, which celebrate the year's most outstanding achievements
in Asian mountaineering-1-2. The awards are typically presented at a ceremony in
Seoul.
The presentation in Kathmandu on December 26, 2025, was made
by South Korean Ambassador Park Tae-Young on behalf of the Korean
Alpine Rescue Association (KARA) and the South Korean government-1-2. An appreciation plaque was also presented to the NNMGA
for its institutional role in the mission.
Table: The Honored Guides at a Glance
|
Guide |
IFMGA Certification |
Key Experience |
Role in Mera Peak Recovery |
|
Riten Tashi Sherpa |
Yes, over 15 years experience |
Summits: Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu; rescues during 2015
earthquake |
Co-leader of the recovery team-8 |
|
Ashish Gurung |
Yes-1 |
Co-leader of the recovery team-8 |
The Profound Significance of High-Altitude Recovery
The award underscores a critical but often underappreciated
aspect of Himalayan mountaineering. Recovery missions like the one on Mera Peak
are considered among the most dangerous tasks in the profession-1.
Unlike a planned summit push, recoveries involve navigating
unstable, often technical terrain while managing the immense physical and
psychological strain of prolonged exposure at altitude. This award brings
long-overdue international acknowledgment to the professional rescue
capabilities of Nepal's guiding community-1.
A Foundation for Lasting Partnership
The award ceremony served as the foundation for a much
broader dialogue. The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) seized the moment
to propose a formal collaboration with the South Korean government to enhance
Nepal's mountain tourism sector.
The key proposals included:
Honoring a Legacy: Establishing a dedicated corner at
the International Mountain Museum (IMM) in Pokhara to honor South
Korea’s first Mount Everest summiteer.
Infrastructure Development: Seeking South Korean
support for developing infrastructure at both the IMM and the International
Mountaineer Memorial Park in Kakani.
Hosting the World: An invitation to Ambassador Park to
attend the UIAA General Assembly, which Nepal is scheduled to host in
October 2026.
The Bigger Picture: Safety and Legacy in the Himalayas
This event connects to Nepal’s ongoing efforts to address
mountaineering's most somber realities. The Himalayas are the final resting
place for hundreds of climbers, with bodies often remaining for years due to
the extreme danger and cost of recovery.
A Nepali army-led clean-up campaign in 2024 successfully
retrieved four bodies from the "death zone" above 8,000 meters on
peaks like Lhotse, highlighting the immense effort required-4.
Each recovery is a complex operation requiring a large team, significant oxygen
supplies, and a narrow weather window. Guides like Sherpa and Gurung operate on
the front lines of this essential work, performing a final service that
provides closure to families and honors the spirit of the climbing community.
A New Chapter for Nepal's Guiding Profession
The awarding of the Golden Ice Axe to Riten Tashi Sherpa and
Ashish Gurung is more than a celebration of one act of courage. It is a
landmark recognition with threefold significance:
International Validation: It formally acknowledges the
world-class skill, ethics, and humanitarian commitment of Nepal's
IFMGA-certified mountain guides.
A Diplomatic Catalyst: It has opened official channels
for tourism and infrastructure cooperation between Nepal and South Korea,
potentially elevating Nepal's global mountaineering stature.
Highlighting Essential Service: It shines a necessary
light on the perilous, vital work of high-altitude rescue and recovery, a
cornerstone of safe and responsible Himalayan climbing.
As Nepal prepares to host the global mountaineering community
for the UIAA General Assembly in 2026, stories like this will form the bedrock
of its narrative: a nation home to not only the world's highest peaks but also
to some of its most dedicated and professional mountain stewards
0 Comments