Tejan Gurung Completes 14 Peaks

Former British Commando becomes youngest Brit male to summit all 14 Peaks at 29

Tejan Gurung, TJ, becomes the youngest British man to conquer the 14 Peaks at only 29 years old. He stood on his final summit Shishapangma on 9th October 2024.

TJ from Pokhara, was born in 1995 and lived his early childhood in Nepal until 2005 when the family moved to the United Kingdom after his father’s retirement from the Gurkhas.

Inspired by his father and the work of The Brigade of Gurkhas, TJ joined the military in 2014 when he was 19 years old as a Royal Engineer, later qualifying for the All-Arms Commando Course. TJ earned his right to serve with the 24 Commando Regiment within the 3 Commando Brigade for a further 6 years.

With his love for his childhood home of Nepal and a desire to shine a light on the incredible culture and people of the Big Mountains, TJ returned to his homeland to climb his first 8,000m peak in 2022. He summitted Everest on May 27th followed swiftly by Lhotse on May 28th, 2022 with Nimsdai Purja. Before this, the highest he had climbed was in 2017 when Tejan climbed Lobuche East at 6,145m.

Inspired by this experience and on a mission to spread the word about the Big Mountain community, TJ decided to leave the military in 2023 to take on his 14 Peaks mission. He quickly became an integral part of the Elite Exped team with his warmth, humour and positive outlook. Determined to help others experience the joy of the Big Mountains and uplift both his Nepali brothers and clients, TJ became a firm favourite on Elite Exped adventures. He was part of the record-breaking fastest team to climb all of the Big 5 mountains in Pakistan in 26 days in 2023. His military training gave him reliance, skill and determination and earned him his nickname on the 8,000ers of the Mountain Yeti.

But TJ’s 14 peaks mission was not easy and tested his resilience to the limit. Sadly his team were hit by the tragic avalanches that hit the 2023 climbing season, killing four people, including TJ’s climbing partners Anna Gutu and Mingmar Sherpa. Determined to return to complete the mountain they started together, TJ returned to Shishapangma in 2024 to pay tribute to his friends. 

Standing on the summit he celebrated them and all those in the Big Mountain community that work so hard to help others achieve their climbing goals. He said: “I feel very proud to represent both the UK and Nepal and to represent my friends Anna and Mingmar. I hope to inspire younger climbers to follow their dreams and find the thing in life that brings them joy. For me, climbing mountains is about more than the challenge – it’s about sharing the experience with friends and making memories for myself and others that will last a lifetime. I believe we all have the responsibility to look after our planet and ensure it is protected for the future and to uplift each other and show the incredible culture and hospitality of the Big Mountain community.”

He added: “Nepal is part of my heritage, and while the mountains have always been in my heart, it’s the challenges and the opportunity to inspire others that drives me towards them. The Big Mountains aren’t just my backyard; they have become the perfect arena to test my limits, embracing adversity, and overcome it with optimism and resilience.”

TJ now becomes the youngest British male to have completed the 14 peaks at 29. He plans to help to inspire others to achieve their new possible with Elite Exped and continue to share the wonders Nepal has to offer both on and off the mountain.

Commenting on Tejan’s current success, Nimsdai Purja says: “TJ’s focus and resilience embody the Elite Exped spirit perfectly – there is a time to be serious and plan, and a time when you can relax and have a laugh! It has been an honour to watch TJ grow and succeed – nothing has stood in his way and with him by your side everyone can achieve their new possible! I am proud we have both been able to wave the flag for our motherland, Nepal, and show the world its beauty.”

Summit dates:

• Everest - 27 May 2022
• Lhotse - 28 May 2022
• Annapurna - 15 April 2023
• Makalu - 23 May 2023
• Kanchenjunga - 1 June 2023
• Nanga Parbat - 2 July 2023
• G2 - 17 July 2023
• G1 - 21 July 2023
• Board Peak - 25 July 2023
• K2 - 28 July 2023
• Manaslu - 17 September 2023
• Dhaulagiri - 29 September 2023
• Cho Oyu – 2 October 2023
• Shishapangma – 9 October 2024

Total: 2 years 4 Months 13 Days