Friday, April 18, 2008

Pasang Tendi Sherpa


Pasang Tendi Sherpa
25
Sankhuwasabha, Nepal (Makalu Region)

Tendi has summited Mt Everest five times-twice last season in one week- and has been climbing in the Himalayas since he was a little boy.

Tendi is a retired Buddhist student, who left a dedicated life of religion to climb and support his family. He respects Buddhism deeply as he comes from a long line of Buddhist teachers. His Great-Grandfather and Grandfather were both Lamas in a remote area of the Solu Khumbu and Makalu Regions.

In the first trip in his life, Tendi accompanied his father, who was a guide for three American trekkers around the Annapurna Circuit in 1998. Tendi was a porter on that trip, carrying 32 Kilo (74 lbs) worth of equipment as a 14 year old. It was here that Tendi began to explore and develop interest in a life outside his village and in trekking. It was also here that Tendi first met foreigners and began to learn English. This trip made Tendi very interested in learning English, and as a result, he went to Kathmandu to learn formally.

Tendi's influence on Mt. Everest came from seeing many expeditions travel through his village enroute to mountains further up the trail. It was seeing these groups and knowing about their expeditions that made Tendi desire to climb mountains one day when he grew up.

Tendi's first Everest climb was in 2003 from the Nepal side at the age of 19, climbing to the South Col with a Japanese team. This was a great success for Tendi, because it showed him that he had the skills and great strength to make it high on the mountain and until that point, he had no climbing experience of high mountains. As a result, the next year (2004) he went to the North Side and summited for the first time on 19 May with a Bulgarian team. In 2005, he summited from the Nepal side on 31 May and in 2006 again from the North on 17 May. 2007 was his first time to work with Willie and the Mountain Madness team. 2007 was a unique year for Tendi because he was able to summit twice in one week- an incredible achievement.

Tendi is looking forward to other experiences and peaks in the Himalayas and has a bright, shining career in the mountains ahead of him.

When Tendi first reached the summit of Everest, he was extremely happy because it represented a golden chance to develop his mountaineering career. Now, he climbs because he likes it; he likes to meet other people, develop new friendships and to support his family. He speaks Nepali, English, Japanese and French and has begun traveling to Japan, Switzerland and other countries.

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