28/05/2026
"May 23 wasn’t just another summit day on Mount Everest. For Gurkha Rifleman Bijay Rana of the UK’s special forces, and for Pasang Kidar, the legendary Sherpa guide who pinned a new rank on fellow climber’s jacket at 8,848 metres, it became a moment of history—chilling winds, thin air, and a promotion no soldier will ever forget."
Pasang Kidar, who has summited Everest many times before, couldn’t hide his pride. “I feel that the UK has a great honour to Nepali Sherpa climbers and Gurkhas serving for her country,” he said.
May 23 wasn’t just another summit day on Mount Everest. For a Gurkha rifleman of the UK’s special forces, and for the legendary Sherpa guide who pinned a new rank on his jacket at 8,848 metres, it became a moment of history—chilling winds, thin air, and a promotion no soldier will ever forget.