Satori Adventures Everest Expedition 2026: A Year of Success, Safe Summits, and New Milestones
On the very early morning of 20 May 2026, at 2:39 AM, Olena Karlova from Ukraine and Lakpa Tashi Sherpa reached the mighty summit of Mt. Everest as the first successful summit pair of the Satori Adventures Everest Expedition Spring 2026 team. Following closely behind were Dr. Ngo Hai Son and Thi Thanh Binh from Vietnam, accompanied by their fellow Sherpa guides Nima Sherpa, Lankaram Tamang, and Santaman Tamang.
By 9:30 AM, twenty-two members of Satori Adventures had successfully reached the summit in the first round summit push of the expedition. Other climbers who successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest included Magdalena Kowari (Poland), Mariusz Mlynarczyk (Poland), Rafal Janusz Skrzypiec (Poland), and Sandra Maria Wieliczko (Luxembourg), along with their Sherpa guides.
On the same day, at 11:45 PM, four members reached the summit as well – a rare phenomenon in Everest expeditions in the second summit push.
The Satori Adventures Everest Expedition 2026, featuring climbers from different countries, was led by Maltese mountaineer Nicholas Ellul, widely known as ‘Nicky’. He was on Everest with his inspiring mission, #MaltaforEverest, which aimed to carry Malta’s identity, pride, and spirit to the summit of Mount Everest.
With this successful ascent, Nicky places his name among the elite climbers of Malta – an island nation of nearly half a million people, from where only six climbers have summited Mt. Everest to date.
Likewise, creating another milestone, Vietnamese plastic surgeon Dr. Ngo Hai Son who was accompanied by fellow Vietnamese climbing partner Thi Thanh Binh Nguyen reached the summit. Dr. had previously made history in July 2023 by becoming the first Vietnamese mountaineer to successfully summit K2 (8,611 m / 28,251 feet), the world’s second-highest and one of its most dangerous mountains.
Our team member, photojournalist, and Guinness World Record holder Purnima Shrestha, who made history in 2024 by climbing Mt. Everest three times in a single climbing season, successfully climbed Mt. Everest for the sixth time, continuing her extraordinary achievements. She is the only female non-Sherpa climber from Nepal to achieve this remarkable milestone.
Not only did the team successfully summit Mt. Everest, but some elite mountaineers also climbed Lhotse (8,516m / 27,940ft) back-to-back, earning great respect in the mountaineering community. Among them were Dr. Ngo Hai Son and Thi Thanh Binh Nguyen, Rafal Janusz Skrzypiec, and Olena Karlova – who served as the leader of the Satori Lhotse Expedition Spring 2026 and climbed her second major mountain with Satori Adventures after successfully summiting Makalu (8,485m / 27,838ft) in 2025.
They were accompanied by their Sherpa guides Ongdak Sherpa, Pasang Nurbu Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Lakpa Tashi Sherpa, and Furte Sherpa to the Lhotse summit after Mt. Everest.
Summiting these two peaks, commonly known as the ‘Double Crown’ or ‘Double 8000er’ or ‘Double Summit’, in the same expedition back-to-back is a true test of physical fitness, strength, and endurance in the death zone.
During this remarkable journey, our climbers first summited Mt. Everest on 20 May 2026 and then returned to Camp IV at the South Col, where they spent approximately ten to twelve hours before making their summit push for Lhotse. They successfully reached the summit of Lhotse at 6:25 AM, 8:30 AM, and 8:45 AM on 21 May 2026.
Along with international climbers, Satori Adventures’ Sherpa guides create a historic milestone together. Our expert Sherpa guide Pema Sherpa, who has climbed all of Nepal’s 8,000-meter peaks and has already summited Everest sixteen times, achieved yet another milestone. His vast experience and expert guidance in the Himalayas played a vital role in the safe and successful passage to all climbing members.
Lakpa Tashi Sherpa successfully reached the summit of Mt. Everest for the twelfth time this year, while Nima Sherpa completed his tenth successful ascent. Our expedition photographer Pasang Gyaljen Sherpa also reached the summit for the fourth time. Ongdak Sherpa, Pasang Nurbu Sherpa, Dawa Nurbu Sherpa, Lankaram Tamang, Pasang Sherpa, Phurtenji Sherpa, Furte Sherpa, Thuktang Sherpa, and Lakpa Sherpa were other Sherpa guides to summit the mountain successfully.
These Sherpa guides played a critical role throughout the journey, providing technical leadership, load support, oxygen management, and ensuring climber safety in extreme high-altitude conditions. Advanced communication systems, solar-powered infrastructure, medical support, weather forecasting technology, and premium expedition services strengthened every phase of the climb, ultimately leading to a safe, successful, and historic Everest summit on May 20-21, 2026.
The successful Spring 2026 Everest Expedition with Satori Adventures was the result of months of meticulous planning, precise logistics, and professional expedition management. Beginning with cargo movement in early March, every stage was carefully coordinated, including Base Camp construction, acclimatization rotations, route preparation, and summit strategy.
We congratulate all respected climbers and Sherpa guides on their successful ascent of the world’s highest mountain peak. We also extend our sincere gratitude to all the staff members who meticulously planned, executed, and provided support behind the scenes throughout the expedition.
Now, we are preparing and looking forward to the climb for next year.
