Nepal: Death of the last survivor of the 1953 everest expedition

Thursday 16 October 2025 - 10:30

By: Sahili Aya

Nepal: Death of the last survivor of the 1953 everest expedition

The last surviving member of the 1953 expedition that achieved the first ascent of Mount Everest, Kanchha Sherpa, has died at the age of 92, his family announced on Thursday.
“He wasn’t feeling very well for a few days. He passed away,” said his grandson Tenzing Chogyal Sherpa, speaking to AFP.

Born in 1933, Kanchha Sherpa was only 19 years old when he joined the team led by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who conquered the world’s highest peak (8,848 meters) alongside Nepalese climber Tenzing Norgay Sherpa on May 29, 1953.

“A living legend”

During that historic climb, the young porter reached the so-called “death zone”—above 8,000 meters—without any prior mountaineering experience.
“He was a living legend and a source of inspiration for all climbers and those who work in this field,” said Fur Gelje Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. “We have lost our guardian,” he added.

The 1953 expedition members had gathered in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital, and walked for two weeks to reach base camp, carrying tents, food, and gear. “Everyone had to walk because there were no roads, no vehicles, no airplanes,” Kanchha Sherpa recalled in a 2013 AFP interview.

Over time, the surname Sherpa became synonymous with the Nepalese climbers who assist foreign mountaineers by carrying loads and setting up routes, work without which most ascents would be impossible.

After the 1953 triumph, Kanchha Sherpa continued to take part in numerous expeditions for twenty years, before giving it up at the insistent request of his wife. He later ran a lodge in Namche and founded a charity that funded education for underprivileged families.