Surrey, BC – A White Rock resident with strong ties to Surrey has made history after successfully climbing Mount Everest and surviving a terrifying descent during one of the deadliest periods of the 2026 climbing season.
Ajaypal Singh Dhaliwal, a Punjabi-origin Canadian and well-known lawyer in British Columbia, reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain on May 20, standing at 8,848.86 metres above sea level. His achievement is being celebrated across Metro Vancouver, with supporters calling him the first Canadian Punjabi climber to summit Everest and safely return.
Dhaliwal reached the peak on the same day that hundreds of climbers attempted the ascent during a short window of stable weather conditions on the Nepal side of the mountain. Reports indicate that 274 climbers reached the summit within a 24-hour period, creating extremely crowded and dangerous conditions high above the clouds.
But the most dangerous part of Dhaliwal’s journey came during the descent through Everest’s notorious “Death Zone” — the area above 8,000 metres where oxygen levels are critically low and survival becomes increasingly difficult.
According to expedition reports, Dhaliwal became separated from his Sherpa support team while descending and was left with dangerously limited oxygen supplies. During the same descent, two other climbers from the wider expedition group — Sandeep Are and Arun Kumar Tiwari — lost their lives.
Facing freezing temperatures, exhaustion and powerful winds, Dhaliwal reportedly used his climbing harness to slide down icy sections of the mountain before suffering a fall and briefly losing consciousness.
After regaining awareness, he managed to signal rescuers using his headlamp. A Sherpa rescue team led by Mingma Tenzi Sherpa eventually reached him, shared emergency oxygen supplies and guided him safely down the mountain.
The dramatic survival story has inspired many across Surrey, White Rock and the broader Punjabi community in Canada. Friends, supporters and members of Panjab University Campus Alumni have been celebrating both his historic climb and his safe return home.
Many say surviving Everest’s deadly descent under such extreme conditions may be an even greater accomplishment than reaching the summit itself.
Ajmer Singh says
Well done 👍 congratulations 👏