KATHMANDU: Seven Nepali climbers, including renowned singer Raju Lama, have summited Mt Elbrus (5,642m), Europe's highest peak, in what organisers are calling the first time such a large Nepali team has scaled the mountain together in a single push.

The summit team comprised Raju Lama, IFMGA/NNMGA guide Abiral Rai, Dabuti Sherpa (Barista Dawa), Bikram Karki, Bikash Tamang, Chatur Tamang and Nurbu Sherpa, along with Indian climber Tshering Choden. Most members of the team are working toward completing all Seven Summits — the highest peak on each of the world's seven continents.

The expedition, organised by ChaTours Treks and Expeditions, was completed in a remarkably short window. "This was a historic achievement, as it is the first time such a large Nepali team has summited Mt Elbrus together. Even more special, we completed the entire expedition and reached the summit within just three days," said Abiral Rai after the ascent, describing the climb as one of his biggest mountaineering dreams. 

With Elbrus now behind him, Rai has completed five of the Seven Summits.

For Raju Lama, Elbrus is his third Seven Summits peak, following Everest and Carstensz Pyramid. Dabuti Sherpa and Bikash Tamang have each now completed two of the seven. The expedition's organiser, Chatur Tamang, recorded his 194th ascent of Mt Elbrus during the climb — a figure that speaks to the mountain's familiarity for this particular veteran.

But the expedition carried an ambition beyond mountaineering. In collaboration with Lekali Coffee and Mitini Coffee Academy, the team brewed Nepali specialty coffee at the summit and served it to international climbers and guides on the mountain — part of a broader campaign titled "Seven Continents, Seven Summits — Nepal Coffee's World Campaign," which aims to take Nepali coffee, culture and entrepreneurship to the world's highest points.

"Nepali coffee brewed at the summit is not just a drink — it is a symbol of the hard work of Nepali farmers, our culture and our identity," said Dabuti Sherpa, reflecting on what the team had carried to the top alongside their climbing gear.

The team said the expedition was intended not only as a sporting achievement but as a platform to connect Nepal's agriculture and tourism sectors to an international audience — using the visibility of high-altitude mountaineering to tell a story about what Nepal grows and makes, as much as where it climbs.