PURNIMA SHRESTHA - The 1st Nepalese women photojournalist to reach the top of Everest

We spoke to Purnima Shrestha, who was led by her photojournalist soul to the top of the world, Mt. Everest. She reached the summit on May 19, 2018. We share with you the inspiring story of “Purnima”, a brave, free-spirited woman whose name in Nepali means Full Moon. She is a complete and versatile woman, at 30 she has a successful career as a photojournalist in Nepal. She is also a contributor to the New York Times. Purnima tells us about her humble origins.

Although she was born and raised in the mountainous region of the Himalayas, Gorkha, home to Mount Manaslu, as a child she never thought of climbing mountains, much less reaching the top of Everest, in Nepali Sagarmatha for “Front in the Sky”.

For Nepalese, the Himalayan mountains are sacred mountains, abodes of gods and goddesses, landscapes blessed with spiritual energy that must be honored and respected.

And it was precisely the invitation to the sacred or the call of the mountain, which this photojournalist heard for the first time when she stepped onto Everest base camp for work reasons. She was thanks to her profession that she had the opportunity to capture moments of the famous "Everest Marathon", there she felt the invitation of the mountain. It all started from there.

Accustomed to the altitude since she was little but without formal instruction, Purnima decided to get out of her comfort zone and explore her own limits. At the age of 27, on September 26, 2017, she successfully climbed her neighboring Mount Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world (8,163 m). In Nepali Manasa "Mountain of the spirits", a name that derives from the Sanskrit word and which means "soul".

This feat gave her confidence in herself and inspired her to take on her dream of “climbing Everest”, planning her next big challenge, the highest mountain on the planet (8,848 m).

However, she explains that her way to the summit was not easy. She is grateful that she has always had her family and friends by her side, supporting her and encouraging her at all times. But she had to look for sponsors, overcome many obstacles and hear reluctance about being a woman photojournalist and climber trying to fulfill her dream of reaching the highest peak.

She never gave up. She always believed in herself. She was aware that the mountain had invited her and she had heard its call. Her motivation was the extraordinary landscapes and wild nature that she could photograph and make it known by combining her profession with mountaineering. And above all, that her experience of strength, courage and struggle could serve as an inspiration and advancement for other Nepalese women and the rest of the world so that they dare to dream of climbing to the top, dare to climb and join the profession of photojournalism, still with little presence of women.

And finally, on May 19, 2018, it was time for her to fulfill her greatest adventure, she became the first Nepalese women photojournalist to step on the Sagarmatha, the roof of the world.

In addition, Purnima Shrestha did what has never been seen, she took with her during the expedition a traveling photographic exhibition called “Smiling Nepali Women”. With 25 self-made photographs of Nepalese smiling women from the Sagarmatha region. To show the smile you believe in, like the universal language that everyone understands. During her ascent, she exhibited them in Camp I, II, III, and beyond on the route to the summit. She managed to reach the highest point, at 8,848 meters, only with the photograph of her mother, her heroine, which she proudly displayed as a tribute and to raise awareness and vindicate the role of women in Nepal and in the world.

Once Everest mission was achieved, her great dream, the activity of this great mountaineer and photojournalist has not stopped. She has continued in her quest to perfect herself, to lead female mountaineering in Nepal, to be a better person, mountaineer and professional, with outstanding challenges such as achieving Ama Dablam (6,812 m) in autumn 2019, one of the most technical Himalayan peaks in the world. In spring 2020, she planned to climb Mount Annapurna I, an expedition that had to be postponed due to COVID-19. She is already planning it for spring 2021 to achieve a new record, be the first Nepalese woman to reach the top.

This September 2020 she is going to start her next adventure, her solo participation in the well-known “Great Himalaya Trail” one of the most difficult trekking routes in the world, 1,700 km in 150 days crossing the Himalayas from east to west. To date, no Nepalese woman has attempted to meet this challenge alone. Without a doubt, a new great challenge that Purnima faces with great enthusiasm, determination, and a big smile. She is look for sponsors ;-)

Interested in sponsoring the next adventures of Purnima, you can send an email to hola@firiri.com.

TO END THIS EXCITING CONVERSATION, IN PURNIMA'S WORDS ...

Sustainability and the environment:

“Sustainability and the respect towards environment are two sides of the same coin. On my expeditions in the Himalayas I have closely observed the devastating effects that climate change has on glaciers and mountains. I have also seen with my own eyes the amounts of garbage that accumulate in the mountains. I believe that it is everyone's responsibility to respect and take care of nature so that future generations can enjoy it, as we have the privilege of doing so now”.

Relationship with firiri and the sustainable fashion:

“I am a friends of Bhagawati Thapa, Raju's sister, also a woman film editor and photojournalist in Nepal. We are united by the love of telling stories. And I came to know about firiri through Bhagawati. I like it because the brand promotes sustainability and natural fabrics and products from the Himalayas, preserving the ancient techniques, cultural and environmental diversity of Nepal. Putting the focus on people and planet, their well-being and happiness.

So, when Raju and Laura [Spanish-Nepalese married couple, duo founders of firiri] told me that they wanted to tell my story to inspire and empower other women and men to follow their dreams, I felt very honored and involved."

Connection with the dakini or Buddhist goddesses:

“The mandala is an ancient tool for personal transformation deeply rooted in Nepal, one of the essences of the Himalayas. I love firiri's Mandala Project. At this stage of my life I feel identified with the dakini KARMA, the adventurer, because I live life to the full and I am moved by the sense of adventure. I am a woman of action and I am always on the move. Green is my color; it gives me a lot of energy and vitality. I think we have come to this world to be happy. I live each day as an adventure”.

Purnima, thank you for sharing your story, challenges, and experiences with us. Would you like to share any last message or thought with our community?

“We live in a society that sees women as soft, subtle, and doing housework or adopting simple professions. Although the changes are notable and inevitable, there is still a lot to change, especially in perceptions of women. Therefore, I take on challenges to set an example that nothing is impossible if a woman wants to achieve something. I encourage women and men to empower themselves and step out of their comfort zone to pursue their dreams. Everything is possible".

Purnima climbed up to Manaslu, Everest (Sagarmatha) and Ama Dablam because she heard their call, the call of the sacred. She is happy between mountains and nature. She likes to photograph the universal happiness that mountains and people's faces convey. We all have a story to tell. Each daily story is unique, unrepeatable, and extraordinary, and deserves to be told to inspire others. Because we all have our personal Everest to reach ... For Purnima to photograph and transmit that it is seen from the highest mountain on the planet, thus motivating other women and men to see it with their own eyes ... for others it may be learning a new language, changing work, cycling to Lapland, swimming with dolphins… we all have our dreams that can come true, of course, why not? We all have an Everest, what is yours? - We will be happy if you share with us your Everest or other comments. Thank you.