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Nepal Bids Farewell To Kancha Sherpa, The Last Living Member Of Everest’s 1953 Expedition With State Honor

Buddhist monks perform a ritual at a crematorium, praying for the peace of the soul of Kancha Sherpa, the last living member of the 1953 Mount Everest expedition, in a funeral procession in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 20, 2025. Sherpa breathes his last at the age of 92 at his private residence in Kathmandu. He is a member of the expedition team of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. He spends his final days in his ancestral home in Namche Bazaar, the gateway to Everest. Born in 1932 in Namche, Kancha Sherpa begins his mountaineering journey at the age of 19 when he runs away from home to Darjeeling in search of work. There, he meets Tenzing Norgay, who recognizes him as the son of a fellow mountaineer from the 1952 Everest expedition from Tibet. Impressed by his dedication, Tenzing helps him join Sir Edmund Hillary's 1953 expedition as one of 103 Sherpas, earning five rupees a day. Kancha Sherpa continues to work on mountaineering expeditions until 1973, before retiring at the request of his wife. He later works with trekking groups, guiding trekkers through the Himalaya without venturing to extreme altitudes. Kancha Sherpa does not reach the summit, but he plays a crucial role in the success of the expedition. He climbs as far as the last camp, currently the South Summit. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)

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