Another inspiring story of the power of dreams, commitment and perseverance! Excerpts from the article on CNN:

Many climbers dream of reaching the peak of the world’s highest mountain at least once in their lifetime. Chhurim Sherpa has done it twice – in one week.

“People have set different kinds of climbing records in Everest,” said Chhurim, sitting on her living room couch directly beneath a string of certificates hung on the wall – the Guinness plaque included. “But no one has climbed twice within a week. So I just climbed with the sole motive of making a world record.”

Chhurim made her initial ascent on May 12 and then, after a two-day rest on her return to base camp, reached the peak again on May 19, 2012. Since Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary broke barriers by stepping afoot the 8,848-meter peak in 1953, many benchmarks have been set. But for Chhurim, it was Pasang Lhamu Sherpa – the first Nepalese woman to climb Everest (she died during her descent) – who inspired the then fifth grader to sketch a future plan that most girls the same age couldn’t conceive of.

When she came to Kathmandu to visit her sister in 2010, Chhurim enrolled in a basic mountaineering training course run by the Nepal Mountaineering Association. She said it helped her get the “psychological, physical, and technical training” required to prepare for her the mission. For the next two years, Chhurim honed her skills in rock climbing and first aid and climbed the Yala Peak (5,520m) in Nepal’s Langtang region.

While parents and family members kept track of Chhurim throughout her journey, the climber said she detached herself from any emotions. “The only thing on my mind was to successfully set the record,” Chhurim said. “I didn’t really think of anyone during the climb, not even myself.”

On May 12, when she reached 8,848m for the first time with a group of four other climbers, she stood amazed above the “layer of tiny mountain peaks blanketed by circular cloud patterns.” During the 15 minutes she spent on top of the world, Chhurim said she took a moment to thank God, her parents, and then reminded herself that she had to do it all again.

After returning to base camp two days later and resting for another two days, Chhurim made the ascent again on May 17. But this time, she only had Tshering Dhendup, her aid, for company. En route to the world’s highest peak, she also traversed the Khumbu Icefall at 5,486m as well as the steepest climb after Camp 3 (7,470m), all while carrying 15 kilograms of her expedition gear that she said seemed to weigh more like 50. “But I did it — I reached the summit on May 19, stood there for a little longer this time, about 25 minutes, and then headed to base camp in a day and a half,” Chhurim said, describing the journey with such ease as if it were a trek for amateurs.

To date, the total number of people who have successfully climbed Everest from the Nepalese side, according to the Expedition Department at the Ministry of Tourism, stands at 3,842. Of them only 219 are women, out of whom a mere 21 are Nepalese. “I really want other Nepalese women to get involved in mountaineering,” Chhurim said. “We should have a can-do attitude so that we can move forward and not be left behind simply because we’re women.”