AP’s team in Kathmandu typically relies on third-party visuals to cover the annual influx of climbers attempting to summit Mount Everest. But this year, photographer Niranjan Shrestha had a new idea: partner directly with mountain guides to capture exclusive photo and video footage for AP.
Four guides—Pasang Rinzee Sherpa, Jenjen Lama, Kunga Sherpa and Vinayak Jay Malla—agreed to work with AP to document their journey to the summit. Although Pasang Rinzee Sherpa had to turn back due to illness, the remaining three completed the mission and returned with a rich trove of visuals.
Among the standout imagery: aerial views of Everest and its base camps, climbers offering prayers before their ascent, groups taking selfies at the summit, and a striking image of the infamous “Everest traffic jam”—a long line of climbers bottlenecked en route to the peak.
Back in Kathmandu, Shrestha, video journalist Upendra Mansingh, chief photographer Manish Swarup and senior video journalist Rishi Lekhi sifted through the visual material to curate a powerful gallery and video edits. Pasang Rinzee Sherpa and Jenjen Lama also gave interviews to AP, which helped Kathmandu correspondent Binaj Gurubacharya report and write the accompanying story.
Judges praised the team’s initiative in building the trust needed to gain such rare access and for creating a visually driven, tightly told story from one of the most difficult places to report on in the world.
For innovation in storytelling and a spectacular visual package showcasing the allure and challenges of Everest, Pasang Rinzee Sherpa, Jenjen Lama, Kunga Sherpa, Vinayak Jay Malla, Niranjan Shrestha, Binaj Gurubacharya and Upendra Mansingh are this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
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