Imagine climbing Mount Everest 10 times—more than any woman had ever done—and then coming home to Connecticut to wash dishes at Whole Foods.
Tim Ferriss said he loved this one after Noah Kagan recommended it.
My colleague Rob Kelly also ranked this #3 on his list of The 17 Best Everest Documentaries.
Trailer for “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- Lhakpa was denied a formal education in Nepal because she was a girl. To get work carrying equipment for climbers, she sometimes passed herself off as a boy.
- In 2004, Lhakpa’s husband and climbing partner George Dijmarescu attacked her during an Everest expedition. She survived years of abuse, got out of the marriage, raised her children, and eventually returned to Everest to keep breaking records.
Watch “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa”
You can watch “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa” on Netflix. Check the latest streaming options on JustWatch.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 92/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 90/100 (Users); 100/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Lucy Walker directed this 105-minute documentary. Walker is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker whose docs include “Waste Land” and “The Crash Reel.”
Release Date: July 2024 (Netflix)
Other Unique Stuff
- When the doc begins, Lhakpa is working and raising her daughters Sunny and Shiny in Connecticut. Her regular job becomes part of her Everest training: lifting, staying on her feet and doing physical work all day.
- Lhakpa immigrated to the United States at age 28. Despite becoming one of the most accomplished high-altitude climbers alive, she had trouble getting the kind of sponsorship you’d expect for an athlete with her résumé.
- Her first Everest summit came in 2000. By the time Walker began filming her 10th attempt, Lhakpa hadn’t summited since 2018.
Wrap Up:
“Mountain Queen” is one of those docs where the more you learn about the person, the crazier her lack of fame seems. Lhakpa survived Everest, poverty, sexism and an abusive marriage. Somehow Everest may have been the easiest mountain she had to climb.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc