KATHMANDU: A decade spent guiding climbers across some of the world's highest mountains came to a tragic end for veteran Nepali mountaineer Gyalu Sherpa, who was among the 10 expedition members killed when a massive avalanche swept the route between Camp II and Camp III on Pakistan's Broad Peak (8,047m) on July 30.

A senior high-altitude guide with Seven Summit Treks, Gyalu was one of Nepal's many unsung Sherpa climbers whose skill, courage and dedication helped make Himalayan expeditions possible.
Born on September 23, 1978, in Khijidemba, Okhaldhunga, Gyalu later settled in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu. He is survived by his wife and family.

Paying tribute, Seven Summit Treks Director Chhang Dawa Sherpa described him as a dependable, humble and highly respected climbing guide whose professionalism, teamwork and calmness in extreme conditions earned the admiration of fellow mountaineers.

"Born and raised in the Himalayan region of Nepal, mountaineering was more than a profession for him — it was his way of life," Chhang Dawa said.

He added: "While his name may not have been widely known around the world, Gyalu Sherpa was one of the many unsung heroes whose skill, courage and dedication made Himalayan expeditions possible."

Khijidemba Rural Municipality Chair Gambu Sherpa said Gyalu’s death on Broad Peak has caused irreparable damage to Nepal’s mountaineering industry. Khijidemba has lost a fearless mountaineer, he added

Gyalu's mountaineering career spanned more than a decade. He began with a successful ascent of Lenin Peak (7,134m) in 2015 before climbing Mera Peak, Lobuche Peak, Island Peak, Himlung and Cholatse over the following years.

He made his first summit of Kangchenjunga (8,586m) in 2019 and later climbed Manaslu twice during the 2022 and 2022/23 seasons. In 2025 alone, he summited Kangchenjunga three times—as a member of the rope-fixing team, with the Indian Army expedition and with an international team.

His final successful climb came in spring 2026, when he reached the summit of Mount Everest with an international expedition, just months before joining the ill-fated Broad Peak expedition in Pakistan.

The Broad Peak avalanche claimed the lives of all 10 members of the international expedition, making it one of the deadliest mountaineering disasters of the 2026 climbing season.