Tenzing Gurung is a freeride mountain biker who delivers attention-grabbing performances in the foothills of the Himalayas.

These days, you can find him conquering extreme Himalayan terrains, riding and guiding mountain bikers through the remotest, high-altitude trails.

And armed with his expertise, he designs and builds MTB trails through his company, Trail Builders Nepal.

Tenzing Gurung was born and raised in the Makalu region of Sankhuwasabha district in Eastern Nepal.

It wasn’t until he moved to the capital city Kathmandu at the age of fourteen that he got his first cycle.

His father, Thagendra Gurung, one of the pioneers of mountain biking (MTB) in Nepal, built him a simple bicycle.

Growing up in the countryside, he embraces a love for the outdoors. Tenzing quickly found his balance and continued to hone his MTB skills.

A year later in 2006, Tenzing competed in cross-country in junior races.

From then on, he was able to finish on the podium in different categories from downhill to enduro racing.

In recent years, Tenzing took on the new challenge of freeride mountain biking, carving his own path in history.

“Mountain biking is an adventurous sport with a lot of creativity,” he says. “I was keen to develop my creative interests and push myself to the next level. I’m not saying it’s impossible to do with other types of MTB, but I feel entirely in my element in freeriding.”

Having built his fair share of riding prowess and travelled to notable MTB destinations around Europe, Tenzing has found freedom on his mountain bike.

To see his elite skills, you need to check out his Instagram or YouTube channel, where he frequently shares his latest, jaw-dropping clips. And, expect to see more in the future.

On October 28, 2015, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa (Mingma G) became the first Nepalese in history to solo Mt. Chobutse (6,685m) above his village in Nepal’s Rolwaling Valley.

He describes his solo ascent as a “most memorable expedition”. “After that, several international climbing sites featured my story and it was a big breakthrough moment for me.”

His mountaineering excellence marked him out as a world-class athlete. On October 2, 2017, he led the first-ever successful summit of Nanga Parbat (8,126m) in autumn.

In 2021, he and his expedition team from his company ‘Imagine Nepal’ opened a new route to reach the true summit of Mt. Manaslu (8,163m).

On January 16, 2021, Mingma G and his nine teammates made history with the first winter ascent of the world’s second-highest mountain, Mt. K2 (8,611m).

“We achieved an unprecedented feat,” Mingma G says. “Together, we, all Nepali climbers, conquered the hardest climb ever and set a new world record for Nepal.”

Mingma G has successfully climbed thirteen of the fourteen 8000m+ peaks without supplemental oxygen.

Always pushing himself, he has scaled more than 60 mountaineering expeditions so far. This includes six ascents of Mt. Everest, five ascents of Mt. Manaslu, four ascents of Mt. K2, two ascents of Annapurna-1, Dhaulagiri, Makalu and Kanchenjunga, and many more.

With his relentless determination, exceptional leadership and pure humility, there isn’t much this internationally certified IFMGA/UIAGM mountain guide hasn’t excelled at.

A veteran of the sport, Mingma G’s success in high-altitude mountaineering and his appetite for challenges make him a rare and inspiring figure in the mountaineering world.

Aerial adventurer Subash Thapa is happiest when he soars into the sky like a bird, which comes as no surprise, considering that he’s one of the world’s most talented acrobatic paragliding pilots.

Subash began his journey with wings at the age of 16, inspired by watching paragliders fly in his beautiful village of Sarangkot, Pokhara.

After his first tandem flight, he was hooked. “It was an incredible experience. I realised that I can pursue this activity continuously, and I was going to have a good time,” Subash says.

Earlier, he focused on competing in cross-country paragliding events. A few years into flying, he decided to take up acrobatic paragliding, an advanced discipline involving performance of various tricks with a paraglider.

Together with his colleagues, they set up Nepal Acro Team (NAT), a team dedicated to organising paragliding shows and developing aerial acrobatics.

At 20, he participated in his first paragliding World Cup. Despite many challenges, Subash strived to improve his performance. His dedication led to success, in competition, he became the first Acro pilot from Asia to master the most challenging paragliding manoeuvre, Infinity Tumbling.

Subash’s personality is intriguing, inside all about equanimous and well-balanced, yet on the outside passionate and driven.

“If you’re not pushing boundaries, are you truly living life to the fullest?” asks Subash Thapa. Always seeking new challenges, he discovered skydiving and soon began training to become a skydiving instructor. In 2018, he was certified to instruct individuals for tandem skydiving, helping them to attain their goals.

Subash has an insatiable hunger for daring adventures, and it’s precisely these experiences that fuel him today.

In November 2022, Subash skydived over the Gulf of Thailand hovering 13,000 feet above, carrying the flag of Nepal. Subash recalls: “It was a great feeling, and jumping out of planes representing Nepal’s flag for the first time in the world of skydiving is something that makes me proud to this day.”

Born into a British Gurkha family and grew up in Hong Kong, Deeya Pun was absolutely fascinated by mountains as a youngster, especially during family trips to her village of Sikha in Myagdi, Nepal.

Always an active person, she initially excelled in nursing and acting as a career. However, a quest for her sense of purpose in her adult years led her to mountaineering. “I felt something was missing,” she admits.

In the summer of 2018, Deeya made her first ascent of Mount Aconcagua, and she was hooked.

The following year, she was with Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja as part of ‘Project Possible’ to climb her first 8000m+ peak, Mount Manaslu.

“I appreciate the fact that climbing is a physically and mentally demanding pursuit, offering a plethora of personal achievements. It has been my getaway to explore the remotest corners of the world,” she says.

On 27 May 2022, Deeya led her hardest climb ever to Mount Everest. During the climb, she battled extreme weather, altitude, and Hypoxemia in Camp 2.

She was airlifted to Lukla hospital. “It felt like my Everest dream was over,” she reflects. “After just a few days of recovery, I was determined to climb again. I continued onwards and upwards to deal with hardships to ascend the world’s highest peak.”

Then in 2023, she successfully scaled the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro.

“I want to live fully and make my dreams come true that continually evolve. I always ponder what I can do more,” she says. “It’s important to push yourself and enjoy the challenge without making any excuses. Through this process, I learn something new and witness the magic that happens when I overcome difficulties.”

As well as mountaineering, Deeya has already made her mark in Nepali film industry, starring in several movies, all while dedicating herself in the nursing profession. With her beaming smile, infectious positivity, and growth mindset, she continues to seek new adventures and challenge herself.

Away from the spotlight of competition, Deeya aims to summit the seven highest peaks of seven continents worldwide.

On July 17, 2022, around 8:15 PM, Mangal Lama arrived in Hilsa, a border village in the Humla district, and made history. He became the first person to solo bike the entire Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) high route, a 1,700 km trail that spans across the Himalayas, mostly above 5,000 meters, and stretches from Nepal’s eastern to western border.

Over the course of 88 days, Lama persevered through crushing challenges including fever, sleep deprivation, freezing weather, hostile terrain without proper biking trails, monsoon rain, and even the loss of all his belongings. Nevertheless, he remained determined and never gave up, ultimately accomplishing his incredible feat of solo mountain biking along the GHT on wheels.

Despite its difficulties, Lama was inspired to keep going by the magnificent mountain scenery and support from the well-wishers. “This adventure was the defining moment of my life, and it was both mentally and physically challenging,” said Lama. “The daily grind was gruelling, but the memories and experiences gained to make it all worth it.“

Growing up in Kakani, Nuwakot, Mangal Lama used to eagerly watch mountain bikers pass by his village. Enthralled, young Mangal often followed them to a distance. He had humble beginnings as a mechanic when he started working at a bicycle repair shop in Kathmandu. Since then, his passion has flourished into a fully-fledged MTB racer, a mountain bike guide, and an adventurer with several ambitious feats.

“I had this idea of exploring the Himalayas by mountain bike. More than that, I want to promote the Great Himalaya Trail and lesser-known areas of Nepal for adventure tourism, improve education, and raise the locals’ income levels”, said Lama. With this adventure over, he continues to guide with his company, El Yak Adventures and focuses on writing a book and creating a documentary on his GHT experience.

While fun may not be the first word that comes to mind when considering Pasang’s profession, it’s undeniable that what he does for a living in the mountains is both risky and extremely challenging. Nevertheless, conversing with him reveals genuine contentment in his chosen path, and he finds joy in multi-day arduous mountaineering expeditions, as well as taking mountain photos and videos.

“There are numerous challenges when it comes to photographing a high-altitude mountain while also guiding climbers: rugged terrain, inhospitable climates, altitude sickness, logistical complexities, avalanches, limited access, to name a few. However, despite working under demanding and extreme conditions, helping the mountaineers summit the peak, and capturing the moments in their element always makes the effort worthwhile”, says Pasang.

Pasang Rinzee Sherpa is an accomplished mountaineer from Dolakha, Nepal, who has a passion for adventure and photography.

He started as an assistant trekking guide and got into mountaineering in 2015 when he achieved his first ascent of the Mera peak (6,476 m). After that climb, Pasang continued to guide his clients on various demanding expeditions: Mt Everest, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Ama Dablam, Himlung Himal, Muztagh Ata, and many more.

His mountaineering journey wasn’t linear, as he had to face life-threatening incidents along the way. His first expedition to Mt. Everest was in jeopardy when the 2015 Nepal earthquake set off avalanches that destroyed Base Camp. Pasang recalls, “I witnessed the death of five friends from my team, and eighteen climbers lost their lives while many were injured. I didn’t know how I survived, it was the hardest time of my life.”

Pasang’s photos portray the beauty of mountains and the mountaineering lifestyle in a timeless manner. He is highly sought after as a mountain photographer, videographer, drone pilot, and mountain guide. Currently, he is part of a team led by renowned mountaineer Kristin Harila, filming her ambitious project of climbing all of the world’s highest 8000+ metre peaks.

Growing up in a beautiful Sarangkot village in Pokhara, Nepal, Alish Thapa always had a fascination with watching paragliders as they flew in the surrounding skies. However, his love was reinforced at the age of 16 when he finally had the opportunity to see the world from above during his first paragliding flight.

“After that experience, I felt a strong desire to pursue paragliding as a profession and dedicate myself to my passion”, says Alish Thapa.

Alish’s passion has led him to remarkable adventures, allowing him to perform and teach paragliding acrobatic shows around the world. He is one of the first Nepalese pilots in Asia to perform Infinity Tumbling, which is considered one of the hardest tricks in paragliding.

In 2018, he had his first tandem skydive in Thailand. Later that same year, Alish earned his skydiving licence in China in just 22 days. He is the first Nepali skydiving instructor in Nepal.

“It was not easy. I was shocked by the typhoon and bad weather and had to repeat a few levels in skydiving as I was spinning like hell in the sky. Despite the challenges, I persevered and attempted complicated manoeuvres in a bid to achieve my first skydiving licence,” says Alish Thapa.

Alish consistently pushes his limits in his sport. He started as a professional paragliding instructor for 12 years and eventually added skydiving to his repertoire.

Early on, he faced many challenges due to the absence of standardised instructor ratings, official drop zones, and schools in Nepal. Consequently, he had to travel abroad to acquire the necessary skills.

Undeterred, he dedicated a significant amount of time to advancing research and development in Nepal through his company, Insky Skydive. “The beautiful Himalayan country offers endless possibilities for skydiving in its incredible natural setting,” Alish adds. “In the coming years, I envision myself jumping against the backdrop of the stunning mountains.”

With two decades of experience in the air, Alish’s primary aim is always to explore skydiving in Nepal, and have our own qualified people in this sport. Alish says, “I want to share my knowledge and skills with more skydivers from Nepal so that they don’t have to travel abroad to learn skydiving.”

When he’s not working on projects, Alish loves to spend time with his family and friends, travelling, and trying other adventure sports.

Lakpa Sherpa is a mountaineer from Sankhuwasabha, Nepal, who has a passion for mountaineering that includes everything from expedition leader to rescue expert to mountain liaison officer and tourism entrepreneur.

“When I was a kid, I used to hear radio news about climbers achieving successful summits in the Himalayas. This inspired me and developed my enthusiasm for mountaineering,” says Lakpa.

Unlike many Sherpa climbers, Lakpa doesn’t come from a family of mountaineers or mountain guides. He started from humble beginnings as a porter in 2007.

In 2010, he served as a mountain guide alongside achieving his first summit of Mount Everest. By 2015, he established his own company, 8k Expeditions, helping mountaineers to summit the world’s highest 8000m+ Himalayan peaks.

Lakpa has made his way to the top of mountaineering, taking on numerous challenging expeditions worldwide.

With more than 13 years of experience, Lakpa has conquered twelve 8000m+ out of fourteen peaks, including Mt. Everest 12 times and five ascents of Mt. K2.

Fast forward to today, he’s successfully led more than 50 expeditions, alongside many Search and Rescue operations.