First, let’s get the big, juicy number out of the way. The fastest ascent from Base Camp to the summit was done by a man named Pemba Dorje Sherpa in 2004. He did it in a jaw-dropping 8 hours and 10 minutes.
Let that sink in. That’s less time than a full workday. Or a really long Lord of the Rings movie marathon. He basically woke up, yawned, and sprinted up the side of the planet.
Here’s the insane part: it usually takes people days to do that same stretch. Like, a week. He did it before lunch. I take longer to decide what to watch on Netflix.
Who Is This Superhuman?
Pemba Dorje Sherpa isn’t just fast; he’s built different. He didn’t use bottled oxygen until the very top, which is like running a marathon without water until the finish line. He was 26 years old at the time, and he said he just “felt good that day.”
Sure, Pemba. And I “just feel good” when I find a parking spot close to the grocery store. Same energy, right? No. Completely different energy.
The previous record was held by another absolute legend, Lakpa Gelu Sherpa. He clocked in at 10 hours and 56 minutes. Pemba shaved almost three hours off that. Three hours! That’s like breaking the world record for the mile and then walking back to high-five the other runners.
