Dawa Yangzum Sherpa is the only female climber from Rolwaling Valley, home to more than 70 other notable climbers and Everest summiteers. She has been a frequent competitor in ultra-marathons including the 350 km Everest Sky Race and Annapurna Mandala Trail. Dawa started working as a trekking guide in 2008 and began climbing in 2009. Since taking up climbing, she has summited Mt. Everest from the south, Yala Peak, Island Peak, Ama Dablam , Cho-Oyu from the Tibet side and also worked as a climbing ranger on Mt Rainier. In 2014, Dawa successfully summited K2 as part of the first Nepalese female team. She also works as instructor at the Khumbu Climbing Center in Nepal. In 2025, Dawa became the first Nepali woman to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks with her ascent of Shishapangma in Tibet. No stranger to breaking barriers, Dawa was also the first female Asian mountain guide to earn the IFMGA certification. Beyond her personal achievements, she’s a passionate advocate for women in mountaineering and a leading voice in raising awareness about climate change and its impact on Nepal’s fragile mountain ecosystems. Through partnerships with The North Face and Rolex, she continues to use her platform to push for progress—on peaks and beyond.
Mount Everest
Makalu
K2
Cho-Oyu
Kanchenjunga
Mt. Langdung – First Winter Ascent
Ama Dablam
Denali
Aconcagua
Mt. Chiki-Go
Island Peak (3)
Yala Peak (3)
Mount Rainier
Mount Baker
IFMGA Certified Guide
Wilderness First Responder and CPR certified
Avalanche Level 1
Leave No Trace Trainer
On July 24th, 2014, Dawa andPasang Lhamu Sherpa were two of the first Nepalese women to climb K2
Second Place (Female) Annapurna Mandala Trail Race (350 km)
Winner, IFSC National Open Lead Climbing Competition
First Nepali female VIP Climbing Ranger, Mt. Rainier National Park
First female member, National Geographic team, Everest
The expedition was of the absolute highest quality. I was especially impressed with the high level of coordination between Alpine Ascents group. This helped us out from a logistics standpoint.
Ready to dive deep into the world of Denali? In this webinar recording, veteran Denali guide Hannah McGowan brings you an inside look at what it takes to tackle North America’s highest peak. From route logistics and gear essentials to crucial preparation tips, Hannah shares her hard-earned insights from her last 9 Denali expeditions on […]
Submission by Jess, Alaska Operations. When I touched down in Talkeetna this year, greeted by sunny skies and perfect weather, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful for a smoother forecast for Denali climbing season compared to the previous year’s relentlessly poor weather. Julia was clearly on the same wavelength because just a few weeks before, […]
Dominating the already immense landscape of the Alaska Range, Denali “The Great One ” is the tallest mountain in North America, rising a lofty 20,310’ above Denali National Park. Mountaineers flock from across the globe to test their strength and climbing prowess on this ultimate alpine test piece. If you have Denali on your list […]
Alpine Ascents International leads expeditions that have become benchmarks of quality in the climbing community. We operate what we believe is the finest mountaineering school in the country. This expertise is based upon years of accumulated experience-not just from individual mountain guides, but through experience on particular mountains where details are fine-tuned over time.
Our guides are an integral part of Alpine Ascents because they understand and share our climbing principles. These individuals are dedicated to sharing their excellence with others. Many of our guides have been with Alpine Ascents for over five years, with a handful of veterans working with us for most of their careers. The quality of our Guide Staff is the primary difference between us and our competitors.
Leave No Trace principles are fundamental to our program, and we encourage all who climb and trek with us to understand proper wilderness practices. We help facilitate this effort by passing on Leave No Trace training and literature to every Alpine Ascents climber.
