Kanchha Sherpa: Last Surviving Member of First Everest Summit Expedition Dies at 92

Kanchha Sherpa, positioned in the center of historical photographs, recalled the 1953 Everest expedition as a challenging yet ultimately triumphant endeavor.

As the final surviving member of the historic 1953 expedition that witnessed Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa become the first humans to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Kanchha Sherpa held a unique place in mountaineering history.

Born in 1933, Sherpa joined the expedition as a 19-year-old porter, remarkably ascending beyond 8,000 meters (26,200 feet) – approaching the world's highest peak – despite having no previous mountaineering experience.

At the age of 92, he passed away Thursday in Nepal's capital.

Today, hundreds of climbers annually follow the path he helped establish to Everest's summit, contributing to a thriving multimillion-dollar mountaineering industry.

While modern climbers benefit from well-established routes set by experienced Nepali guides, Kanchha's expedition team pioneered their own path up the mountain.

The original expedition required more than two weeks of trekking just to reach base camp, with team members carrying all necessary tents, food, and equipment themselves.

"There were no roads, no motor vehicles, no planes – everyone had to walk," Kanchha Sherpa explained to AFP in a 2013 interview.

Though he remembered the expedition as arduous yet joyful, he expressed regret that recognition wasn't equally distributed among all team members.

"Everyone knew Tenzing and Hillary climbed Everest, but nobody recognizes how hard we worked along the way," he noted.

Sherpa's journey began when, as a teenager, he left his home in Namche Bazaar – now a major tourist hub on the route to Everest base camp – and traveled to Darjeeling, India, seeking employment with Tenzing.

Tenzing had already established himself in Darjeeling, which served as the departure point for mountaineering expeditions during that era.

Initially, the young Sherpa performed household chores at his mentor's residence.

Months later, he returned to his home region as part of the British expedition, earning a meager daily wage of just a few Nepali rupee coins.

Over time, the name "Sherpa" has become synonymous with high-altitude mountain guides.

Members of this ethnic group have formed the backbone of the mountaineering industry, assuming enormous risks to transport equipment and supplies, secure ropes, and repair ladders.

Sherpa continued working in the mountains for two additional decades until his wife requested he cease his dangerous expeditions, following the deaths of many colleagues while supporting climbing missions.

He subsequently operated a lodge in Namche and led a foundation bearing his name that supported families unable to afford education for their children.

From his lodge windows, Sherpa witnessed the dramatic transformation of the Everest region firsthand.

In a 2019 interview with local television, he reflected: "Tenzing and Hillary opened our eyes and made development possible here."