After climbing over 30 mountains, summiting 13 of the 14 eight-thousanders, rescuing stranded climbers from the Balcony on Everest (8,400 meters) and from 7800 meters on Shishapangma, recovering the deceased, risking his own life, and capturing visuals for some of the world's most recognized adventurers and institutions, he still remains outside the spotlight. He climbs, guides, and films - without seeking recognition. He does what is required of him under the terms of his work, year after year. He is one among many Nepali unsung climbers. This is Phurba Sonam Sherpa. Phurba is a climber, guide, and high-altitude cinematographer from Kharikhola, Ward No. 01, Khumbu PasangLhamu Rural Municipality, Nepal. He came into the climbing industry in 2006, starting as a kitchen boy and eventually working his way up to guiding – something about climbing and guiding attracted him more. This is quite common in the Sherpa climbing community as all youngsters are inspired by their senior climbing guides. In 2012 came the big breakthrough – a chance to climb Manaslu, and he didn't let it slide. Who knew Phurba's 8000er journey would start not with a summit but with surviving a massive avalanche on the high slopes of Manaslu? Scared, this gave him a valuable lesson though – not to rush into big mountains without having a fundamental skill set. He started focusing on rather 6000-7000-meter peaks afterwards – familiarizing with climbs, taking training courses, slowly mastering the game. Flights to and from TIA severely disrupted due to dense haze What to expect after South Korea's Constitutional Court rules on the impeachment of President Yoon Eventually, Phurba gained the courage, skills, and proficiency for big mountain climbs. In 2019, he summited Annapurna with Nirmal Purja, marking the start of his professional eight-thousander climbing and guiding journey. Since then, he has completed 18 successful 8000-meter ascents. In 2023 alone, he climbed 11 eight-thousanders within four months and totaled up his summit count to 13 of the 14 8000ers. He was supposed to climb the last peak – Shishapangma (8027 m) on the autumn of 2024, but was sent to a north-face Everest expedition by his employer. He was the climbing guide and photographer for the Hornbein couloir Ski descent expedition which eventually didn't happen due to geopolitical tensions between the American expedition and Chinese authorities, among a few reasons. This is the part of his job that he has no control over. He has to go where he is asked to go. Phurba is hopeful that he will complete Shishapangma in the autumn of 2025. He will get to be a 14-8000er adventurer – a feat considered massive in mountaineering. But it's not all climbing that he does. He is one of the most talented high-altitude cinematographers in Nepal and has filmed for National Geographic, Seven Summit Treks, Elite Himalayan Exped, and so on. When asked what was the most challenging filming job, he replied – K2! "Filming K2 bottleneck for Anna in 2023 was the scariest experience ever. The traverse under the serac exposed to constant risk of avalanche, sheer wind, and having to handle a heavy gear in one hand at that high had me scared for life. Unfortunately, a big avalanche swept down the serac and almost wiped out the fixed ropes. With a camera on my hand, surviving was a challenge and it is K2 – one misstep and it's over!" The man has pulled off some of the most nerve-wracking rescues in the Himalaya. The 2023 Shishapangma avalanche is considered one of the horrific mountain tragedies in recent times. A deadly avalanche from the east face wiped out climbers on the summit push, taking the lives of Anna Gutu, Gina Marie Rzucidlo (both American women in the race of being the first American woman to complete 14 8000ers), Tenzin Lama (Gina's Guide, the man who with Kristin Harila summited all 14 8000ers in 92 days), Mingmar Sherpa (Anna's Guide). Phurba had documented most of Anna's 8000er journey, as her expedition photographer. It is nearly impossible to believe that a faulty oxygen system saved Phurba's life then. Phurba's oxygen ran out and he stopped during the summit push on that fateful day. He changed the oxygen cylinder and rested for a while but Anna and Mingmar kept climbing. The duo took a detour which they believed would be safer and would lead to direct summit. Phurba tried to join them, but they were long gone. He followed them but not much after a thunderous roar crashed down – Anna and Gina with their guides, Mingmar and Tenzin, were wiped down the massive avalanche. Phurba narrowly escaped death. Had he not changed his oxygen, things were sure to go south. He immediately joined with the rescue and recovery team and located the bodies of Anna and Mingmar. Phurba was Anna's photographer for most of her 8000er journey. Another of Anna's guides, a Sherpa climber from Solu was injured 7800 meters in Shishapangma for 3 days. All hopes were lost but the search and rescue team including Phurba found the Sherpa alive. They carried him down to the Advanced BC and he was eventually transferred to Nepal via road, and a hospital to Kathmandu. He survived. The same year, earlier that spring, Phurba was involved in a rescue mission that located and rescued a Nepal Army Officer from South Summit (8700 meters) on Everest. The officer was on the summit push and the weather worsened. Weather on Everest in 2023 spring was absolutely fierce! The officer lost his climbing Sherpa and got stuck on the South Summit. The next day, when Phurba was pushing for his summit, he and another summit party saw the person stranded. Phurba and team rescued him, brought down to south col and finally his climbing team took responsibility for moving him to a hospital – his digits were lost but the person survived. A year before, Phurba was in a recovery team that brought down the body of a Sherpa climber from south col. The Sherpa had lost his life in the mountain in 2021. His body was stuck high for a year and Phurba and team recovered the body down to camp 2 and was eventually given a proper burial. Phurba holds multiple records of incredible climbing achievements. He has completed the climbs of all 5 Karakoram 8000ers (K2, Nanga Parbat, G1, Broad Peak, G2) in 26 days – a record that stands to this date. He has climbed Cho Oyu and Dhaulagiri back-to-back in a mere 4 days. He probably has lost count of the record worthy achievements he has done. This is a common trait among Nepali climbers: he climbs, loves mountains, loves filming, loves guiding and that is what he does. Year after year! Needless to mention, Phurba is climbing Everest this spring – guiding to meet someone's dream of scaling the roof of the world. This is the portrait of a silent climber.