A Nepali mountain climber has become the fastest in the world to reach the summit of the world's 14 highest peaks, scaling all the mountains in just six months.
"MISSION ACHIEVED!" wrote Nirmal Purja on his Twitter account Tuesday, announcing he and his team had reached the summit of Mount Shishapangma in Chinese-controlled Tibet.
The mountain was the last target of Purja's ambitious Project Possible plan to scale all the world's mountains over 8,000 meters high.
The 36-year-old's quest began in April, when he climbed Nepal's Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountains, followed by the Kangchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse and Makalu mountains in the Himalayas within the space of a month.
Purja then traveled to Pakistan in July to climb that country's Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, K2 and Broad Peak. He was back in Nepal in September to scale the Cho Oyu and Manaslu, both within a week's time.
Purja's accomplishment breaks the record for the fastest ascent of the world's 14 highest peaks held by the late South Korean mountaineer Kim Chang-ho, who completed the "8,000ers" feat over seven years, 10 months and 14 days, taking the last peak in 2013.
Purja is a former member of the Gurkhas, a special British Army unit made up of Nepalis.
