Rinji Wongel Sherpa is from the SoluKhumbu district of Eastern Nepal, near Everest. Rinji and Gelu Sherpa's grandfathers were brothers. The two cousins grew up in neighboring villages and attended ten years of school together in the town of Junbesi. Rinji worked as a primary teacher at a Hillary School for two years before hearing his calling to work as a guide in the mountains.

Rinji was an assistant-guide for three years, a Tea-house Trekking Guide for two, and has now been a Climbing Guide for trekking peaks and expeditions for the three seasons. He has been on expeditions to Island Peak, Mera Peak, Ramdung and Manaslu (8156m) in 2002.

Rinji Sherpa's favorite trek is going to Everest Base Camp and Kalapattar because "the views are so panoramic."
His favorite mountain is Ama Dablam because of its beauty and "the way it changes shape as you walk around it." He has yet to climb Ama Dablam and hopes to work on an expedition to the mountain in the near future...