Last Surviving Member Of First Team To Climb Everest Passes Away

KATHMANDU – Kanchha Sherpa, the last surviving member of the 1953 expedition that first conquered Mount Everest, passed away at the age of 89. He died early on October 17 at his home in Kathmandu after a prolonged illness.

With his passing, there are no longer any surviving members of that legendary team that made mountaineering history. His final rites will be performed on October 20 in accordance with Sherpa tradition.

Born in March 1937, Kanchha Sherpa was just 17 when he joined the 35-member British expedition that successfully led Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal to the 8,848.86-metre summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953. He was one of only three Sherpas who reached the final camp before Hillary and Tenzing made their historic ascent.

After the expedition, Kanchha continued working as a high-altitude guide, dedicating his life to the mountains. In a 2024 interview, he voiced concern about the overcrowding and pollution plaguing Mount Everest and urged climbers to respect the sacred mountain, which the Sherpas revere as the Mother Goddess. He also lamented that the crucial role of Sherpas in the 1953 expedition had not received the recognition it deserved.

Kanchha Sherpa is survived by two sons, two daughters, and several grandchildren.

The Nepal Mountaineering Association paid tribute to him as a “historic and legendary figure,” noting that with his passing, “a chapter of mountaineering history has vanished.”