International Mountain Guide, Four-time Everest summiteer, sherpa and Outdoor Lover meet Ashish Gurung

Highly accomplished mountaineer and guide Ashish Gurung has summited Everest four times and completed 16 expeditions. This spring Ashish is back on Everest leading a team with the hope of another successful summit. A deep inherent connection to the high alpine and a selfless energy to help people achieve their dreams is at the core of this very talented human and friend of Utu.

"After ten minutes or so at the highest point in the world, the Himalayan mountain peaks, lit by the dawn sun, seemed to float in a tranquil sea all around us"

You grew up in the remote village of Lingham, at the base of Mt. Makalu (8,465m/28.3k ft) in Eastern Nepal. How did that shape your early life?

To be honest, as a boy in the village, I never had a chance to imagine the mountains as a place of work. Like my father and other young men, I left my village and went to Kathmandu with the desire to go abroad. It was only after I became involved in mountaineering that I realized how my background in a remote rural mountain village gave me a great connection, grounding, and advantage.

How did you realize you wanted to become a mountaineer?
I was working as a kitchen porter at Everest Base Camp in 2010 and watched so many different people head off to climb, right in front of me. I thought, “I was born in a mountain village, I can climb mountains like this. I’ve been doing it all my childhood.” That was the moment I knew I had found my true passion. The following year, I joined Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki’s expedition team. It was during that expedition that I became aware that to grow as a Sherpa and become a professional guide, it would be beneficial to master foreign languages and become a certified mountain guide. So I started to learn Japanese.

In 2012, you joined renowned climber Kazuyoshi Kondo’s Annapurna expedition. Why was this climb a turning point in your mountaineering career?
Prior to the 2012 Annapurna expedition, I had joined his team twice as a kitchen staff member. During that time, he saw how I moved in the mountains and worked as a team member. He gave me a chance, saying, “You have the ability to go to higher altitudes.” As a result, I got the opportunity to reach the lower part of Camp 3, around 6,800 meters. I borrowed climbing boots from another staff member - he was in a bad mood when the team leader asked him to lend me his shoes! Still, I was thrilled and motivated by the discovery that I could climb at such high altitudes without difficulty.
* Note: Kondo holds the record for the most climbs of 7,000m peaks in Nepal by a Japanese climber.

You continued climbing with Nobukazu Kuriki on several of his Everest attempts, including his 2012 expedition where he lost nine fingers to frostbite, and his final fatal expedition. What did these experiences teach you about Everest’s dangers and unpredictability?

In the severe mountains of the Himalayas, knowing when, and at what point, you make the decision to descend is crucial. This depends not only on the conditions (temperature, wind, snow) but also on your own knowledge, skill, and experience, and knowing the speed at which you can descend. If you make the wrong decision, you can lose your life. I understood this reality shortly after I became involved in high-altitude mountaineering. My expedition experience with Kuriki-san taught me a lot. I began trekking guide training in 2015, continued learning mountain guide and rescue skills for about six years, and finally, in 2022, I became a certified IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations) guide.

You’ve summited Everest four times, Lhotse twice, Ama Dablam five times, and many other peaks over 6,000 meters. Which mountain is your favorite and why?

This question is difficult! (LOL) Many of my clients ask me the same thing. I usually say Ama Dablam. It offers everything—rock, snow, mixed climbing, and vertical walls. It provides all the experiences a climber could ask for. And it's so beautiful—you never get tired of looking at it. But personally, I’m also seeking to discover and climb great mountains and routes that no one has climbed, and that people don’t know about.

Over the last few years, we've seen pictures of how crowded Everest has become, and how much expedition trash is left behind. How do you think this can, and should be managed?

The simple rule is take down what you bring up. That’s true not only on Everest but everywhere. Everyone should adopt a “leave no trace” mindset. In addition, the government should develop regulations, possibly limiting the number of people entering Everest per year in the future. And we must all continue our individual efforts. Also, don’t bring unnecessary things, you’d be surprised what some people take up there!"

What’s been your most memorable Everest ascent?

The one that sticks in my mind most is last year's Everest expedition in 2024. My client and I made the summit push on May 13, the day after the rope-fix team summited. Most teams start between 5 and 7 p.m. from the South Col, but my client was strong, so we started later, at 9:30 p.m. When we reached the Balcony, we caught up with the teams that had started ahead of us, and from there, we led the way.

From the Balcony, only the rope-fix team from the previous day had passed. Their fixed ropes were almost entirely buried in fresh snow. I had to lead my client, pulling out the ropes with my own hands. For hours, it was just the two of us at over 8,000 meters, alone on Everest. It felt like another world. We reached the summit at 4:38 a.m. After about ten minutes at the highest point on Earth, we saw the Himalayan peaks lit by the dawn sun, floating like islands in a tranquil sea. Then the wind suddenly became stronger and more severe. Dozens of climbers behind us were trying to summit. Many had to turn back at the Hillary Step. The experience of those pre-dawn hours, climbing and summiting that morning, is an unforgettable memory I’ll always carry with me.

High alpine conditions are brutal, temperatures can drop to -70°C with wind chill, winds can reach 100 mph, humidity is 0–10%, and UV levels hit an index of 12. How do you protect your skin in such extreme conditions?
I always use a face mask at high altitudes to shield my skin from the wind. Goggles or sunglasses are essential. For preparation, I rely on a high-quality, long-lasting stick. I’ve been loving your SPF 50 Sunscreen Stick, it works very well and never freezes. I also use your Hydrating Face & Lip Balm, which helps prevent my skin and lips from drying out or cracking. 

What are your next mountaineering goals? Which summits are you most eager to conquer, and why?

If I can secure a sponsor and partner, I’d like to attempt an unnamed, unexplored peak in Nepal, in classic alpine style. I feel that the door for Nepalese mountain guides to take on challenges for ourselves has only recently been opened, thanks to our pioneering generation of mountaineers and Sherpas. I believe we now have a real opportunity to take on very difficult high-altitude expeditions throughout the Himalayas - and the world.