The prestigious National Geographic Adventurer of The Year award is back with its 11th edition and this time again, some of the most outstanding individuals and groups for their great achievements in exploration, adventure sports, conservation, or humanitarianism have been nominated.

One of the ten individuals/groups to be nominated this year is one of the best women climbers in Nepal, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, who hails from Khumjung of Solukhumbu on the foothills of Mt. Everest. She grew up in Lukla- the entry point of Everest Region and started climbing in 2003, after attending college in Kathmandu. She did basic level climbing training from Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) in 2004 and advance level training in 2005. She later got her diploma in mountaineering from ENSA, France. She climbed Mt. Everest from the Tibet side and other peaks such as Yala Peak, Nangpai Gusung , Ama Dablam, Mt Putta Hiunculi, etc. She is the first Nepali female mountaineering instructor and also the first woman to climb the Nangpai Gosum (7321 m). In 2014, she successfully summited K2, the second highest mountain in the world which is considered even more difficult than climbing Everest, as part of the first female Sherpa team to make the ascent.

But what got her nominated for this prestigious award are the relief works she conducted when Nepal was hit by the massive 7.8M earthquake earlier this year in April. She played a crucial role in relief efforts in places where they were most needed, focusing on the displaced people of Laprak, located just three miles from the epicenter. She worked tirelessly to bring relief to the remote villages of Gorkha and led the way in organizing supplies and teams for the victims.

We don’t say that other nine contenders for the award this year don’t deserve it but we can’t also deny that Pasang is definitely the most deserving. You can vote for her every day through January 31, 2016, for the People’s Choice. The winner will be announced in February 2016. Click HERE to vote.

We’ll leave you with some of her photographs from expeditions and relief works.

Cover Photo: Sherpa Adventure Gear