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'Lakpa Gelu', a Sherpa born in 1969, is a climber from Jubing - 1, KhariKhola, Solukhumbu, Nepal. He is known for holding a previous world record for the fastest climbing of Mount Everest (the world's tallest mountain at 8,848 meters, known to the Nepalese as "Sagarmatha") in only 10 hours 56 minutes and 46 seconds. Gelu's record-breaking trip was his tenth trip to the summit of the mountain.
Gelu started for the summit at 5:00 p.m. on May 25, 2003 and reached on the summit at 3:56:46 a.m. on May 26. He returned to Base Camp at 11:20 a.m. on the 26^th. (It is also reported that upon reaching the top, Gelu hoisted the Nepalese flag on a 6 foot-tall brass pole.) The total time of his climb from Base Camp to the summit and back to Base Camp was 18 hours 20 minutes.
The record he beat (12 hours 45 minutes) was set just a few days earlier on May 23, 2003 by 25 year-old Pemba Dorjie, a Sherpa from Rolwaling Himal.
Lakpa Gelu was the climbing ''Sirdar'' of the 12 member "Jubiläums Expedition Mt. Everest 2003." He began his ascent of Everest from the Southeast Ridge under the leadership of Eckhard Schmitt, a 56 year-old mountaineer from Schaftlach, Germany.
Nearly one year later, on May 21, 2004, Pemba Dorjie surpassed Gelu's record, reaching the top in 8 hours and 10 minutes.