Eight Interesting Facts About Kanchha Sherpa

Birat Anupam

At 2 am, Thursday morning, Kanchha Sherpa, the last surviving member of the first successful Everest summit passed at the age of 92. He breathed his last at his residence in Kapan, Kathmandu.  ‘’His last rights would be held on Monday at Teku Ghat’’, Tenzing Chhogyal, the grandson of the legendary Nepali climber, told NTV World.

Tenzing Norgay Sherpa was his father’s (Ang Babu) friend which landed him the job of being part of first successful Everest Summit of 1953. He was from the generation of climbers who had to trek from Bhaktapur to begin Everest ascent.

Sherpa was among the 35 climbers of the first successful Everest Summit of 29 May, 1953 when Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary stood atop the world’s tallest peak. He was part of the historic expedition earning five rupees per day for his trek and high altitude works. His team had to fell the trees at Namchhe to make crossings over icefalls.

This write-up brings you eight interesting parts of this mountaineer from Nepal’s Himalayan hamlet. This is based on his official biography titled ‘TOUGH & CHEERFUL’ authored by Patricia Moon.

• Kanchha Not His Real Name

World knows him as ‘Kanchha’, the beloved name given by his mother. Kanchha means the youngest one. However, Kanchha was not the youngest among the eight siblings, five brothers and two sisters. He was second child. His cultural name coined by Lama was Ang Phurba.

• The True Denizen of Namche Bazaar

Populated by around 2000 denizens, Namche is Nepal’s gateway to the Mt. Everest. He is third generation denizen of this historic village. The first denizen to stay at Namche is his grandfather Ang Phuri. Next to arrive was Jamde Kusang, a monk. They arrived at Namche in early 1900s.

• Unexperienced Climber to The Death Zone Sans Oxygen

Kanchha ultimately reached at the height of 8000 meters. Recalling his days Kanchha said, “We didn’t go to the summit. We helped Hillary and Tenzing up to South Summit carrying bottled oxygen and tents. We came to sleep at the South Col.’’ Recalling his gaze from the death zone of 8000-meter Kanchha said, ‘’I looked down and saw many glaciers. I could see Tibet and Rongbuk Glacier.’’ He added, ‘’I couldn’t see Namche, but I saw other familiar things, like Kongde Peak near my home.’’

• Sold Dogs to Indians, Watches to Chinese PLA

Kanchha had undertaken multiple jobs to make ends meet. Some interesting international jobs was selling native dogs called ‘Bhote Kukur’ or the Tibetan mastiff breed to Indians at Jayanagar. He would make 8-day-long downward trek to the Terai plains to sell his puppy eight rupees for each. During 1970s, Kanchha also traded Swiss watches to Chinese PLA stationed in Tibet. Recalling those days, Kanchha said in his biography, ‘’I would travel to Kolkota, India and buy Swiss watches at 300 rupees each. And then I would walk back to Namche and on to Tibet to sell them for 3000 rupees each.’’

• Imprisoned in Lhasa, Mistaken as Tibetan Protestor

In 1959, Kanchha was in Lhasa. Chinese security forces were rounding up Tibetan protestors. They mistakenly nabbed Kanchha and threw him in custody for a week. He was released within a week, thanks to his Nepali passport which he luckily made in the same year when he turned 26. However, it took four months to release his brother as he didn’t have formal papers with him.

• Never to The Top of Everest, Retired at Wife’s Request

Kanchha Sherpa decades in mountaineering before getting retired in 1971 following his wife’s request to do so. His wife requested him to retire pinpointing to the fact that eight Sherpas died in Everest avalanche of 1970. Despite being the member of the first Everest expedition and reaching upto the height of 8,000 meter, Kanchha didn’t go to the top because of his wife, Ang Lhakpa, who feared his safety.

• Born to Namche, Lived for Namche

He was born in Namche. He got fame from Namche. And he rarely left his village. He would frequent from Namche’s family-run Nirmala Lodge Hotel to Kapan resident in Kathmandu, the federal capital. He never thought of flying abroad riding on the tide of his global recognition. Unlike other legendary climbers from his generation like Ang Tharkey of Kungde and Tenzing Norgay of Thame, Kanchha neither left Namche nor Nepal.

• Spiritual Climate Justice Campaigner

Kanchha was not a university graduate, neither had formal schooling. Still, his beliefs and advocacy were of world-class. For instance, he advocated for less traffic on the Everest, better space for the cultural roots. He didn’t do so by reading the data and findings of scientists but by the reading of the realities in his lifetime. Following the footsteps of his father he believed Everest not just as a mountain but as ‘’the goddess Miyolangsangma lives at the top of Chomolongma.’’ He advocated for the comfort of the Everest. In his biography, Kanchha said, ‘’I think that Everest needs a rest for a few seasons. And maybe this will make a better value for Everest.’’