Kanchha Sherpa, last member of first Mount Everest expedition, dies at 92

Kanchha Sherpa helped Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary acme Everest successful 1953.

Kanchha Sherpa, the past surviving subordinate of the mountaineering squad that archetypal reached the acme of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, has died successful Nepal astatine the property of 92.

The Nepal Mountaineering Association described Kanchha Sherpa arsenic a “historic and legendary figure” who died astatine his location successful Kapan successful the Kathmandu territory of Nepal connected Thursday.

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“We are profoundly saddened by the passing of Mr Kanchha Sherpa, the past surviving subordinate of the archetypal palmy acme of Mount Everest successful 1953,” the association’s president, Fur Gelje Sherpa, said successful a statement.

“His lack leaves an irreplaceable nonaccomplishment … He volition beryllium dearly missed,” the president said.

Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa said his gramps had “some issues with his throat” recently. “Otherwise, helium had nary large wellness contented for a idiosyncratic of his age,” his grandson told the DPA quality agency.

Kanchha Sherpa was among the 35 members of the squad that helped Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary scope the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) highest of Everest connected May 29, 1953.

He was 1 of 3 Sherpas to scope the last campy earlier the acme with Hillary and Tenzing.

Hillary and Norgay, some 39 astatine the time, became the archetypal to scope the acme connected May 29, 1953.

Kanchha was calved successful 1933 successful the colony of Namche successful the Everest foothills, erstwhile astir members of Nepal’s Sherpa assemblage – a Himalayan radical renowned arsenic mountaineering guides – worked successful farming.

He spent his puerility and young big years earning a meagre surviving done trading potatoes successful neighbouring Tibet. When helium and respective friends aboriginal visited Darjeeling, India, helium was persuaded to bid for upland climbing, and helium began moving with overseas trekkers.

His father’s relationship with Tenzing Norgay helped Kanchha Sherpa unafraid a occupation arsenic a high-altitude porter for Tenzing and Hillary.

Kanchha Sherpa worked successful the Himalayan mountains for 2 much decades aft the 1953 expedition, until his woman asked him to halt the unsafe journeys aft galore of his friends died assisting different climbing treks, his household said.

He ne'er really climbed to the acme of Everest himself, arsenic his woman considered it excessively risky, helium said successful a March 2024 interrogation with The Associated Press, and helium forbade his children from becoming mountaineers.

Later successful his life, Kanchha had mixed feelings astir Everest’s destiny arsenic an escapade tourism destination wherever thousands of radical person made the ascent to the highest and the upland has go known for overcrowding and discarded litter.

National Geographic Society said successful an nonfiction published successful April that much than 600 radical effort to acme Everest each climbing season, and the upland has “grown progressively polluted”, starring to the contamination of the section watershed, which threatens the wellness of section people.

“The upland has go truthful overcrowded that oftentimes climbers person to basal successful enactment for hours successful freezing acold conditions to scope the top”, and erstwhile climbers yet scope the summit, “there is hardly country to basal due to the fact that of overcrowding”, the mag said.

In 2024, Kanchha Sherpa urged radical to respect the mountain, revered arsenic the parent goddess Qomolangma among the Sherpas.

“It would beryllium amended for the upland to trim the fig of climbers,” helium said.

“Qomolangma is the biggest deity for the Sherpas,” Kanchha added.

“But radical fume and devour nutrient and propulsion them connected the mountain.”

Kanchha Sherpa is survived by his wife, 4 sons, 2 daughters and grandchildren.