Kanchha Sherpa, the last surviving member of the historic 1953 Mount Everest expedition that carried Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary to the summit, has passed away at the age of 92 in Nepal. The Nepal Mountaineering Association hailed him as a &ldquo;historic and legendary figure,&rdquo; saying his passing marks the end of a remarkable era in Himalayan climbing history. &ldquo;His absence leaves an irreplaceable loss, he will be dearly missed,&rdquo; said the association&rsquo;s president, Fur Gelje Sherpa.
Born in 1933 in the Sherpa village of Namche, Kanchha grew up trading potatoes across the Himalayas before finding his calling in mountaineering. His father&rsquo;s friendship with Tenzing Norgay opened the door for him to join the 1953 British expedition as a high-altitude porter, helping guide the team to the world&rsquo;s highest peak. Though he never summited Everest himself, he played a vital role in supporting the historic climb and later worked for two decades on Himalayan expeditions before retiring at his wife&rsquo;s urging.
Kanchha often spoke with reverence for the mountain, known as Qomolangma or the &ldquo;Mother Goddess,&rdquo; expressing concern over its growing commercialization and pollution. &ldquo;It would be better for the mountain to reduce the number of climbers,&rdquo; he said in 2024. &ldquo;Qomolangma is the biggest god for the Sherpas. But people smoke and eat meat and throw them on the mountain.&rdquo;
He is survived by his wife, four sons, two daughters, and several grandchildren. With his passing, the world bids farewell to the last living link to the first successful Everest ascent, a man whose life bridged the humble beginnings of mountaineering and the modern era of global adventure tourism.

Kanchha Sherpa, Last Everest Pioneer, Dies at 92

Kanchha Sherpa, the final member of the 1953 Everest expedition, passes away in Nepal

Kanchha Sherpa, Last Everest Pioneer, Dies at 92

Kanchha Sherpa, the final member of the 1953 Everest expedition, passes away in Nepal

October 18, 2025 | 11:35 IST