The last surviving Sherpa recalls the 1953 expedition to reach Everest s summit
68 years after the successful summit attempt, Kancha Sherpa recalls his incredible experiences
27 May 2021 • 4:03pm
Kancha Sherpa was a member of the 1953 expedition to reach Mount Everest s summit for the first time
Credit: Kanchha Sherpa Foundation
“My first impression of Edmund Hillary was that he was always smiling. He was also very tall with white eyes. I thought he might be from a beautiful place as he had good clothes on,” Kancha Sherpa says.
The bright-eyed 88-year-old is the last survivor from the 1953 British expedition to Mount Everest during which Edmund Hillary (later Sir) and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first humans to stand on the highest point on the Earth at 8,848m (29,031 ft).