. Pem Chiri Sherpa (Team Nimsdai)
6. Dawa Temba Sherpa (Team Nimsdai)
7. Mingma G
8. Dawa Tenjin Sherpa (Team Mingma G)
9. Kilu Pemba Sherpa (Team Mingma G)
10. Sona Sherpa [Seven Summit Treks]
K2 (8611m) as seen in summer. The Abruzzi Spur—the route of the first ascent by Italians in 1954 and the route used for the first winter ascent on January 16, 2021, by 10 Nepali climbers—follows the right-hand skyline. [Photo] Svy123, Wikimedia Commons
Alan Arnette reported on his blog:
All ten climbers stopped 30-feet below the summit on a relatively safe spot (still on a 40-degree snow slope at 28,200-feet) so that they could summit together in a sign of solidarity. No individual was listed as first.
Lead by Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Nirmal Purja Pun Magar aka "Nimsdai" and eight Sherpas...they took advantage of a short weather window when winds were under 10 mph—unheard of for K2's summit in the summer, much less the winter. They are said to be descending now.
In 2015 Mingma G was part of what was likely the first all-Sherpa team to complete first ascents of unclimbed 6000-meter peaks in their home country. The team summited three peaks, and in November Mingma G went on to complete a solo first ascent of a new route on Khang Tagri (Chobutse; 6685m), a mountain he'd looked up to while growing up in Nepal's Rolwaling Valley.
Mingma Gyalje Sherpa took this selfie on an ascent ca. 2015. [Photo] Mingma Gyalje Sherpa
In a newswire about the climbs, Stewart M. Green described Mingma G's Khang Tagri ascent:
After thirteen hours of climbing, he reached the summit ridge and followed it to the top. He descended the easier back side in a whiteout, getting lost in the snowstorm and spending two nights bivouacked in snow holes before being rescued by a helicopter, which brought him down to his village where his mother, sister, and friends waited.
Mingma G wrote a story about the beginning of his career and his solo ascent on Khang Tagri that was published in Alpinist 53 (Spring 2016). A passage reads:
We Sherpas have always regarded mountains as deities. Khang Tagri, in particular, is special to me because I've seen it since childhood. When we were little, my friends and I listened to older villagers share tales of expeditions on 8000-meter peaks. We played climbing games on nearby rocks and sang the popular song, "Hamro Tenzing Sherpale Chadyo Himal Chuchura," about Tenzing Norgay Sherpa's first ascent of Everest, or as we call it, Chomolungma.
As far back as I can remember, I wanted to climb a big mountain myself. My father and my grandfather had both worked as guides. In 2006 I graduated from a school in Kathmandu, and my uncle let me join his staff when he led a Japanese team to Manaslu. Although I had to learn everything during the ascent, I reached 7300 meters. A year later, I got a chance to climb Everest. After I'd proved myself on the world's highest mountain, other expeditions wanted to hire me.
In the 2015 newswire, Green quoted Dawa Gyalje Sherpa: "We are hoping as young climbers, to take climbing in Nepal to a new."
A recent interview with Alex Gavan, a Romanian climber who is currently also trying to summit K2 with Italian alpinist Tamara Lunger, provides his perspective about prior events and ongoing attempts on the mountain during winter.
"Anyone [who can] stand on the summit this season, with or without oxygen, will not do so individually but [because of] the combined effort of everyone working hard on the mountain, from the people [fixing ropes] to the kitchen staff in base camp and the local porters [who helped carry] the gear to the base camp," Gavan told Alpinist.*First broadcast on May 19, 2022.
The "Showa era" was the period of Japanese history between 1926 and 1989. The 60s, 70s and 80s are fondly remembered in Japan as a time when many were feeling the positive effects of a booming economy. That nostalgia has been growing in recent years, even among those who didn't experience the Showa era first-hand. Our guest, Professor Kono Kohei of Ibaraki University, introduces the bold designs and physical appeal of Showa era products, and explains why cafes from those days are attracting young customers.
name, and the years are numbered.
year number four of the Reiwa era.
revival, which culminated in the 1980s.
now look back on it as the good old days.
and that's our theme for today.
just outside Tokyo.
trip back to the 1960s.
to look like a 1960s shopping street.
has been even more popular than expected.
Kono-san, good morning.
of Ibaraki University.
and where that feeling comes from.
-Let's have a look around!
this in London when I was a kid, actually.
really epitomize the time, don't they?
independent businesses back then.
trucks were really useful.
You'd see a lot of them on the streets.
I like the design; they look quite cute.
just to add a bit of authenticity.
And here's a red telephone.
everywhere, didn't you?
of the Showa era.
of public phone.
Later, there were green ones.
where you can use a card.
And they're all push phones, right?
and they only took 10 yen.
Oh my god! All these old cigarettes.
I used to smoke these!
Yes, it's a cigarette shop.
That's what it says on the sign.
in front of these shops.
their products directly to passers-by.
would be sold at a discount.
they were powerful and engaging.
the train station at sales of that kind.
So yes, it was common.
recreate a '60s street?
Was there a special reason for doing this?
an increasingly digital world.
but it weakens the bonds that link us.
where that feeling came first.
about the Showa era.
but they did have dreams.
Second, people shared heart-warming bonds.
to achieve happy and fulfilling lives.
we often associate with the Showa era.
as if everything was perfect.
Cities weren't clean.
of unpleasant smells.
And there was widespread poverty.
aspects are canceled out by the positives.
I think that's the essence of nostalgia.
The Showa era spanned over 60 years.
and rocked Japan to its core.
the economy started to recover.
Industry and technology gathered momentum.
was saying that the bad days were over.
and a modern nation emerged.
were celebrated around the globe.
the phrase Japan as number one.
for many Japanese was home appliances.
cornerstones of a happy life.
of unique appliances were invented.
the world's first electric rice cooker.
This telephone has two dial pads.
without rotating the phone.
everyday items these days seem to lack.
from outer space, doesn't it?
I don't think it has much suction.
this sort of stuff if it was on sale, now.
They're actually really popular.
The designs are so different.
Do you see the green and red toasters?
Oh, are those toasters?
I wouldn't mind a green toaster like that.
are back in demand.
they were revolutionary.
broadcast onto a cassette!
they got smaller and smaller.
Their designs were bold and colorful.
of youth identity.
sells Showa-era radio-cassette players.
smartphones have existed since birth.
through wireless earphones.
through speakers much anymore.
have built-in speakers is intriguing.
playing music out loud entertaining.
experience for young people these days.
in Japan during the ‘80s.
I didn't have one like this.
among the young people of today.
is because of the physical sensation.
Their physicality is quite appealing.
when you press it down.
The dials click when you rotate them.
And the tape goes round and round.
of how the machine works.
And people really enjoy that.
I'll just open this up.
I'm not sure I can still do it.
I'll just press the play button.
they've always had a remote control.
putting the disc in, or taking it out.
using the screen on a smartphone.
as a reaction to the modern age.
And it's not just young people.
a strong sense of engagement.
of Showa nostalgia, I would say.
is the visual design.
always so fun to look at.
This radio-cassette player is bright red.
Showa-era products often have bold colors.
They're full of personality.
during the Showa era.
