Mercer Island’s Ang Chhiring Sherpa wants to help his native Nepalese people, 30 percent of whom live below the poverty line, according to the Mercer Island Reporter. So he is launching the Sherpa Seven Summit expedition, climbing the highest mountain in each of the planet’s seven continents, in the hopes of raising money and awareness for the health clinics, schools, hydroelectric project and airplane strip that he intends to establish in the Salleri area of Solu Khumbu, Nepal.

Sherpa, who is 37, has set his first sights on Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina on Feb. 22. Next up is Mt. Denali in Alaska, followed by Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mt. Elbrus in Russia, Mt. Kosciusko in Australia, Carstensz Pyramid (in Indonesia and therefore Oceania), Vinson Massif in Antarctica (he is climbing both since there is contention over which one should count), and of course saving the highest for last, Mt. Everest on the edge of his homeland, Nepal.

It remains to be seen whether climbing eight of the world’s tallest mountains will be tough for Sherpa, who spends four months every year as a sherpa and whose record in 14 years of mountaineering is just over 21,000 atop Mera Peak in the Himalayas. Sherpa says he is inspired by Sir Edmund Hillary, whom he trekked with once and who “gave so many things to Sherpas–four high schools, six medical clinics–in the district area.”

This is going to be a truly thrilling expedition to follow. Sherpa’s cause is noble, and he is clearly the right man for the job.

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