In a recent interview, the only surviving member of the historic mountaineering expedition that first conquered Mount Everest expressed concerns over the increasing crowding and pollution on the world's highest peak. Kanchha Sherpa, who was part of the team that successfully led Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to the summit on May 29, 1953, emphasized the need to respect the mountain as a sacred entity.
Kanchha Sherpa, now 91 years old, highlighted the growing number of climbers attempting to scale Everest each year, leading to overcrowding at the summit. During the spring climbing season in 2023, a total of 667 climbers reached the peak, accompanied by thousands of support staff at the base camp between March and May.
Despite regulations requiring climbers to carry down their waste and equipment, concerns persist about the accumulation of trash on the mountain. Kanchha Sherpa lamented the littering on Everest, with climbers discarding tins and wrappers, which eventually find their way down to the base camp as the snow melts.
For the Sherpa community, Everest holds deep religious significance as the goddess mother of the world, known as Qomolangma. Sherpas traditionally perform rituals before embarking on climbs as a mark of respect for the sacred mountain.
Kanchha Sherpa recalled his role in the historic expedition, where he accompanied Hillary and Tenzing to the last camp on Everest but could not proceed due to permit restrictions. The route they established to the summit remains in use by climbers today, with only the section from the base camp to Camp 1 experiencing annual changes due to the unstable Khumbu Icefall.
Living in Namche village at the base of Everest, Kanchha Sherpa now runs a small hotel catering to trekkers and climbers, preserving the legacy of his mountaineering achievements for future generations.
