Ang Rita Sherpa is a world-celebrated climber in mountaineering history. He is the only human on the earth to have climbed Everest 10 times without supplementary oxygen, also, the first one to complete the first winter ascent of Everest without supplementary oxygen.

For his invincible courage and amazing climbing ability coping with harsh high-altitude conditions like a snow leopard, he has been widely nicknamed ‘The Snow Leopard’.

The legendary mountaineer passed away on 21st September at the age of 72 in his daughter’s residence situated at Jorpati, Kathmandu last year.

To honor his demise soul, his grandson Tenzing Jangbu Sherpa is working day and night preparing to climb Mt. Everest next season.

Among the four children of Ang Rita Sherpa and his wife Late Kanchhi Sherpa, Chhewang Dorje Sherpa is their second son.

A 22 year’s old Tenzing is the eldest son of Chhewang Dorje Sherpa and his wife Pasang Futi Sherpa. Born in Solukhumbu, Nepal, Tenzing has been living in Sunnyvale, California, the USA for the past 15 years.

After the demise of his beloved grandpa, he couldn’t stop himself from visiting family in Nepal. “My grandpa died amidst the lockdown due to COVID19.

My dad didn’t get a visa to come to Nepal. At that time, I had lost my teeth in a car accident and I got a visa easily because of my health. So, I came representing my family”.

He was more than a proud grandson. During his trekking to Everest Base Camp, he was loved by everyone simply because he was the grandson of the Snow Leopard.

Until then, Tenzing was unknown of the importance of his grandpa’s name, fame, and dignity of his work. He knew his grandpa, who had visited the USA only a few years ago, was famous, but he had no idea what kind of legacy he was famous for.

Tenzing’s father, Chhewang Dorje, himself is a mountaineer. He has climbed Everest six times in a row while his mother Pasang Futi Sherpa’s 8 siblings among 12 are also Guinness World Record holder climbers from Rolwaling Valley in Dolakha District, Nepal.

Living his entire life among climbers, yet, he was unaware of mountaineering, mountain life, and the hardship of his ancestors.

Tenzing, who came to Nepal last year, decided to follow the footsteps of his forefathers and for the first time in his life, trekked to his ancestral home village Hilajung in Solukhumbu District at Everest Region.

Beginning his journey from Rolwaling Valley’s last human settlement Na Village at an altitude of 4200m, he trekked to Chugima (3800m) and Jabo-David Lama Biwak (5050m) and crossed one of the most difficult high passes in Nepal, Tashi Laptch at an altitude of 5755m. From there he continued to Thengbo (4230m), Thame (3800m) to Namche (3750m), finally, reaching his village Hilajung (2700m).

The stories of his grandpa climbing Kanchenjunga, Cho Oyu, and Dhaulagiri in total 9 times, all without supplementary oxygen inspired him to trek to Everest Base Camp from his village which his grandpa used to do in merely a day back then.

At first, it was awkward for Tenzing when everyone called him the grandson of Gorkha Dakshin Bahu. When he realized that his grandpa is the only mountaineer to have been felicitated by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah with prestigious honors Gorkha Dakshin Bahu and Trishaktipatta, he developed immense respect towards his grandpa and a deep passion for the mountain.

He was more than a proud grandson. During his trekking to Everest Base Camp, he was loved by everyone simply because he was the grandson of the Snow Leopard.

Currently, Tenzing Jangbu Sherpa is working on fund collection. He has asked every mountain lover around the globe to support his dream project through a Gofundme account.

The fact that everyone including porters, farmers, national and international tourists, locals all being familiar with the greatness of his grandpa made him speechless. He was spellbound by the pristine beauty of mountains around him, the simplicity and honesty of mountain people, and their hardworking nature.

His grandpa, Ang Rita Sherpa, was born and raised in the lap of Mt. Everest. He chose to be a mountain professional climbing Everest and earned his dignified life, name, and fame working hard in Everest.

He had lost his words to express how grateful he was to be known as the grandson of this legend. And this beautiful feeling made him decide to climb Everest to honor his grandpa’s departed soul.

“I feel his soul lives there. I want to convey my last goodbye to him. Well, to a mountaineer grandpa whose entire life was about Everest and mountains, I guess this is the best way to express the deepest love and respect as his grandson. This will be a tribute to him”.

Currently, Tenzing Jangbu Sherpa is working on fund collection. He has asked every mountain lover around the globe to support his dream project through a Gofundme account.

His three main objectives behind this mission are to climb Everest as a tribute to his grandpa, to document this journey, and to establish a museum in his ancestral home village in the memory of Ang Rita Sherpa.

(Rojita Buddhacharya)