Abiral Rai

IFMGA,Certified Guide & Adventure Photographer, Based in Nepal.

Abiral Rai

IFMGA, UIAGM certified Mountain guide, Mountaineering Instructor and Adventure photographer based in Nepal.

Successfully led expedition teams to over 20 Mountains in Nepal, Including Everest, Lhotse and Manaslu, 5 mountains in Swiss and French Alps, and 2 Mountains in Kyrgyzstan.

Mountaineering Instructor since 2019 with active participation in teaching Navigation, Rescue and Rock-climbing courses.

Worked as an Adventure photographer for various expeditions, National and international documentary projects including 2017 National Geographic “the last honey hunter” and 7 other projects.

Read Me

My Everest Journey: Three Times on Top of the World

On May 22, 2026, I stood on top of the world for the third time.

I still remember looking at my watch and seeing 3:45 AM as I took my final steps toward the summit of Mount Everest (8,849 m), the highest mountain on Earth. After years of returning to this mountain, reaching the summit for the third time was a deeply emotional and unforgettable moment.

With great pride, I carried two flags to the summit. The yellow flag represents the unity of the Kirat Rai communities under one umbrella, while the blue flag represents the Thulung Rai community, the community my family belongs to. I am deeply honoured to carry these flags and to be the first person from the Thulung Rai community to summit Mount Everest.

My Everest journey has been shaped by both success and setbacks. I first summited Everest in 2022. In 2023, I reached the South Summit but had to turn back before the main summit. In 2024, I successfully stood on the summit again. In 2025, I reached the Hillary Step but made the difficult decision to turn around. In 2026, I returned once more and successfully reached the summit for the third time.

Every expedition has taught me something different—patience, humility, discipline, teamwork, and, most importantly, the courage to make the right decision in the mountains.

For me, Everest is not only about standing on the highest point in the world. It is about the journey, the people beside me, the lessons I carry home, and the inspiration I hope to leave for the next generation.

I hope my journey shows that where you come from does not determine how far you can go. Dream it. Work hard for it. Believe in yourself. And when the opportunity comes, give everything you have.

Three times on top of the world. Many more lessons along the way. 🇳🇵🏔️

7 Summit

Kilimanjaro 5895m.

Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), Africa’s highest peak, on August 11, 2026, marked a major personal milestone in my mountaineering journey.

With this ascent, I have now climbed the highest mountains on six of the seven continents: Everest in Asia, Aconcagua in South America, Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania, Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Elbrus in Europe, and Kilimanjaro in Africa.

Each summit has brought new challenges, lessons, and unforgettable experiences. Now, only Denali in North America remains to complete my Seven Summits dream.

Elbrus 5642m.

Standing on the summit of Mount Elbrus (5,642 m), Europe’s highest peak, was a deeply meaningful moment for me. It was my fifth Seven Summits mountain and brought me closer to my dream of standing on the highest peak of every continent. Sharing this milestone with seven Nepali climbers made it even more special.

Carstensz Pyramid

On October 18, 2025, at 7:00 AM, I successfully summited Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m), the highest peak in Oceania. This became my third Seven Summits mountain and another proud milestone in my journey toward standing on the highest peaks of all seven continents.

Sharing this achievement with Hari Budha Magar made the expedition even more meaningful. I am grateful for the teamwork, trust, and support that helped make this dream a reality.

Aconcagua 6960m.

I successfully summited Aconcagua (6,960 m), the highest peak in South America, on February 22, 2025. This became my second Seven Summits mountain and a proud milestone in my mountaineering journey. Standing on the summit of the Andes was a deeply meaningful experience and another important step toward my dream of completing the Seven Summits.

Vinson Massif: Another Step Toward the Seven Summits

On January 6, 2026, I successfully summited Vinson Massif (4,892 m), the highest peak in Antarctica, taking another important step toward my Seven Summits dream.

As an IFMGA-certified mountain guide and member of the HBM Team, I was proud to be part of this special expedition led by Jangbu Sherpa, alongside Hari Budha Magar and Mingma Sherpa.

The climb was even more meaningful as Hari completed his Seven Summits journey during the same expedition, becoming the world’s first double above-knee amputee to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents.

At around 10:00 pm on January 6, seven Nepali climbers stood together on the summit of Vinson Massif with the Nepali flag. It was an unforgettable moment of pride for all of us and a historic moment for Nepal in Antarctica.

With Vinson, I have now climbed four of the Seven Summits: Asia, South America, Oceania, and Antarctica.

I am deeply grateful to Hari, Jangbu Sherpa, Mingma Sherpa, my teammates, and everyone who supported this journey.

Rai Adventures

In 2008, Following my childhood dreams I started my career as a porter guide, with each step forward exploring and learning I became a Trekking guide in 2010. With further dedication and relentless hard work, I achieved the prestigious title of IFMGA/UIAGM certified Mountain guide in 2019. Throughout this journey, I have led over 100’s of expedition team (more than 500 clients) in 3000m- 8000m peaks in Europe, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal including Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Manaslu (world’s 1st, 4th and 8th highest mountain in the world)
After completing my NNMGA (Nepal National Mountain Guide Association) Diploma training in 2019 and becoming IFMGA-certified as a Mountain Guide, followed by the General Training for Trainers in 2020 from the Nepal Mountaineering Instructor Association (NMIA) and Himalayan Climbing and Mountaineering School, I wholeheartedly dedicated myself to pursuing a career as a Mountaineering Instructor.
My Photography & Visual Storytelling Journey
My photography journey began in 2014. With little experience, I learned through practice, documenting treks, expeditions, clients, and the mountains around me.
In 2015, after Nepal’s devastating earthquake, I joined a volunteer relief project and documented the affected communities through photography and video, capturing their stories and resilience.
In 2016, I had the opportunity to work with the National Geographic documentary team on The Last Honey Hunter, alongside Renan Ozturk and Ben Ayres. This became an important milestone, helping me develop my skills with professional photography and filmmaking equipment.
Since then, I have worked as an official photographer and videographer for Hari Budha Magar’s Seven Summits project, combining my roles as a mountain guide and visual storyteller. I documented his expeditions across four continents, including Everest, Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, and Vinson Massif.
My work has also been published and featured in national and international magazines, documentaries, media outlets, and expedition projects.
For me, photography is more than capturing mountains. It is about documenting people, challenges, achievements, and stories that deserve to be remembered.
My Seven Summits journey has taken me to the highest peaks of six continents, each summit representing a personal milestone, a new challenge, and another step toward my dream.
- 🇳🇵 Asia — Mount Everest (8,849 m) | May 12, 2022
- 🇦🇷 South America — Aconcagua (6,960 m) | February 22, 2025
- 🇮🇩 Oceania — Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m) | October 18, 2025
- 🇦🇶 Antarctica — Vinson Massif (4,892 m) | January 6, 2026
- 🇷🇺 Europe — Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) | 2026
- 🇹🇿 Africa — Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) | August 11, 2026
From my first steps in the mountains to standing on six continental summits, this journey has tested my strength, patience, and determination. Only Denali in North America remains between me and my Seven Summits dream.
Six continents. Six personal milestones. One final summit to go.