Sungdare Sherpa


Sungdare Sherpa 1956 Thame village, Solukhumbu – 1989 Pangboche) was a Nepalese Sherpa guide for climbers of Mount Everest, who summitted Mount Everest five times. He was the first person to summit Mount Everest three times.

Climbing career

Sungdare was with Hannelore Schmatz when she died on a 1979 expedition. He remained with her after she died, and as a result, lost most of his fingers and toes to frostbite.
Despite losing his digits, Sungdare summitted Mount Everest four more times after the 1979 expedition.

Death

Sungdare drowned in a river below his village, Pangboche, Nepal in 1989.
Elizabeth Hawley stated that he struggled with alcoholism and that his death was a suicide. He was survived by his widow, Bhingfuti.
As quoted in an article in Backpacker magazine talking about Mount Everest:

Ascents of Everest

  1. 1979
  2. 1981 October summiting
  3. 1982 October summiting
  4. 1985
  5. 1988