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Ang Rita Sherpa: Man who climbed Mt Everest 10 times without supplemental oxygen

Ang Rita Sherpa climbed Mt Everest 10 times and retired from mountaineering in 1996

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by SHARON MWENDE

News23 May 2024 - 13:16
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In Summary


  • He summitted from 1983 and 1996, with his sixth climb setting the world record for the most successful ascents of Mount Everest.
  • Eight of his ten summits were via the Southeast ridge route while his last summit was 12 days after the 1996 Everest disaster.
Ang Rita Sherpa first reached the summit of the Everest in 1983.

Earning himself the nickname Snow Leopard,  Ang Rita Sherpa first reached the summit of Everest in 1983.

This would be one of 10 times that the Nepalese mountaineer successfully ascended and descendent the world's tallest mountain, without supplemental oxygen. 

He summitted from 1983 and 1996, with his sixth climb setting the world record for the most successful ascents of Mount Everest.

He reset this on his tenth climb. 

Eight of his ten summits were via the Southeast ridge route while his last summit was 12 days after the 1996 Everest disaster.

Sherpa was the first person to reach the summit of Everest in winter without supplementary oxygen in 1987, by climbing the 8,848m (29,028ft) mountain.

He was also the first person to climb Everest 10 times.

In 2017, he was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the only person in the world to have climbed Mount Everest ten times without bottled oxygen.

The record still stands.

Recognising him, Everest Today said, "Born on, 1948.07.27; Ang Rita Sherpa, Nepali climber, who ascended Everest 10 times (1983, 1984, 1985, winter 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996, all without supplementary oxygen including the only oxygenless winter ascent of Everest)."

He retired from mountaineering in 1996 after he fell ill due to a liver disease.

Ang Rita died at 72 years old in September 2020. His family said he died in the capital Kathmandu due to brain and liver ailments.

His death was described as a major loss to Nepal and its climbing community.

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