05/03/2025
WHO ARE THESE BRAVE NEPALI ADVENTURERS?
In April 2011 Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa began their three-month quest for the Ultimate Descent. They planned to climb Mount Everest, paraglide down, then kayak to the Indian Ocean.
Here Babu and Lakpa trek along the Western Cwm, a U-shaped valley carved out by the Khumbu Glacier. Set between Camps 1 and 2 at around 22,000 feet, this area is littered with giant crevasses. Lakpa, a mountaineering guide, pushed Babu, a professional kayaker, to learn quickly. They didn't stay at Camp 1, deciding to push on to Camp 2 instead.
With nearly 72,000 votes, Sano Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tsheri Sherpa are the 2012 National Geographic People's Choice Adventurers of the Year. Their Ultimate Descent expedition to climb Everest, paraglide down, and paddle to the sea truly embodies the spirit of adventure. With borrowed gear and a bare-bones budget, there were no corporate sponsors nor social media campaigns, just the essentials for adventure—vision, creativity, and friendship.
