Phurba Tashi Sherpa Mendewa (फूर्वा तासी शेर्पा) is a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer known for his numerous ascents of major Himalayan peaks. These include 21 ascents of Mount Everest, six on Cho Oyu, eight on Manaslu, and one each on Shishapangma and Lhotse. Phurba Tashi was born in Khumjung, Nepal, 10 kilometers from Everest's base camp. He grew up in a family of climbers, watching his father and uncles go on climbing expeditions with international mountaineers. His first successful summit of an eight-thousander was Cho Oyu in 1998. The next y…