Super sherpa hangs up his boots

Twenty-one years after his first successful ascent of Mount Everest and 16 days after climbing it for a record 21 times, Ang Sherpa, the 51-year-old Nepali mountaineer popular as Super Sherpa announced his retirement on Friday.

Updated on: May 28, 2011, 01:22:15 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Twenty-one years after his first successful ascent of Mount Everest and 16 days after climbing it for a record 21 times, Ang Sherpa, the 51-year-old Nepali mountaineer popular as Super Sherpa announced his retirement on Friday.

The announcement came as a surprise to many as Sherpa had made a similar announcement last year after breaking his own Everest record. But this time he says there would be no change of heart. "I am not getting any younger and climbing Everest is a risky proposition. My family also wants me not to take more risks," he said while making the announcement here.

Apa first climbed Everest in 1990 and has been successfully reaching the top almost every year since. Last year he had said that climbing Everest is getting difficult due to melting ice and rock surfaces.

For the past four years he has led the Eco Everest Expedition to raise awareness about adverse impact of global warming on the Himalayas. The expedition has collected 13,000 kg of waste from Everest.

"It is time for the younger generation of climbers from Nepal to continue the task that we have started. I would have no qualms if someone breaks my record," said Apa.

Apa now stays in the US with his family where his three children are pursuing their studies. He started the Apa Sherpa Foundation in 2009 to help educate villagers in remote Himalayas.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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