Nepal’s Gurkhas are some of the most feared soldiers in the world. They brought even more esteem to the Gurkha name as the first active Gurkha soldiers to reach the top of Mount Everest. They are also the first this year to reach the summit.
Team leader Krishna Thapa Magar spoke about what this means to him.
“It’s one of the proud moments and one of the most turning moments in my life,” he said.
The Gurkha Everest Expedition is composed of British Gurkha soldiers. Besides fighting for their home country of Nepal, Nepal’s Gurkha people traditionally serve in the British and Indian military.
Gurkhas have received numerous honors for ingenuity and bravery in battle. A high ranking Indian military leader once said, “If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha.”
They are commemorating 200 years of service to Great Britain with this Everest climb. They first made an attempt in 2015 but an earthquake forced them to reschedule their climb.
