KATHMANDU, Nepal -- A Nepalese man shattered the previous mountaineering record for successfully climbing the world's 14 highest peaks, completing the feat in 189 days.
Nirmal Purja, 36, scaled the 26,340-foot Mount Shishapangma in China on Tuesday. It was the last of the 14 peaks that are more than 26,240 feet in height.
The previous record for climbing the 14 peaks was seven years, 10 months and six days. It was set by South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho in 2013.
Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks in Kathmandu, which equipped the expedition, said Purja was in good health and safely descending from the summit.
"It is a great achievement for mountaineering and mountaineers and a milestone in the history of climbing,'' said Ang Tshering, who previously headed the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
A former soldier in the British army, Purja began his mission on April 23 with a climb of Mount Annapurna in Nepal.
In Nepal, he also climbed Mount Dhaulagiri on May 12, Mount Kanchenjunga on May 15, Mount Everest on May 22, Mount Lhotse on May 22, Mount Makalu on May 24 and Mount Manaslu on Sept. 27.
In Pakistan, he climbed Mount Nanga Parbat on July 3, Mount Gasherbrum 1 on July 15, Mount Gasherbrum 2 on July 18, Mount K2 on July 24 and Mount Broad Peak on July 26.
In China, he scaled Mount Cho Oyu on Sept. 23 before tackling Mount Shishapangma.
He struggled to get permission from the Chinese government for his last climb and was allowed only after getting help from the Nepalese government.
Purja's photo of a long line of climbers just below the Mount Everest summit was widely circulated on social media in May. It raised concerns about overcrowding and the safety of climbers spending hours on the highest point on Earth stuck in a traffic jam.
Purja joined the British army in 2003 and quit earlier this year to begin his mission of climbing all the highest peaks in record time.