Pasang Lhamu Sherpa
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Main discipline | Mountaineer |
| Born |
10 December 1961 Lukla, Nepal |
| Died |
22 April 1993 (age 32) Mount Everest, Nepal |
| Nationality | Nepali नेपाली |
| Career | |
| Starting age | 15 years |
| Starting discipline | Mountaineer/Sherpa |
| Notable ascents | First Nepalese female ascent Mount Everest −1993 |
| Family | |
| Spouse | Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa [1] |
| Children | 2 daughters(dawa-phuti and dikki) 1 son(Namgyal Sherpa) |
Pasang Lhamu Sherpa (Nepali: पासाङ ल्हामु शेर्पा; 10 December 1961 – 22 April 1993) was the first Nepalese woman to climb the summit of Mount Everest.
She was born into a mountaineering family and was involved in climbing from her teens. She had successfully climbed Mont Blanc, Cho Oyu, Mount Yalapic, Pisang Himal, and others. She had attempted Everest three times before, but did not succeed until April 22, 1993, when she reached the summit by the South Col via the Southeast Ridge route.
The morning of April 22, 1993 was bright and clear, and remained so until Pasang reached the top of the 8,848 m. peak with five Sherpas, Sonam Tshering Sherpa, Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa, Pemba Dorje Sherpa and Dawa Tashi Sherpa. Meanwhile, a member of the team and five-time Everest sumitter Sherpa Sonam Tshering got seriously sick at south summit and, despite Pasang Lhamu's efforts to help, did not survive his illness. While descending from the summit, tragedy struck the team. The weather, as often happens in the mountains, suddenly turned bad, causing her to lose her own life on the south summit. She was fully aware of the peril, but that did not deter Pasang from getting to her goal, even if it meant sacrificing her life. Vladas Vitkauskas helped move her body down the mountain.
For achieving what no other Nepalese woman had achieved before her, Pasang Lhamu was posthumously honored by her country and the mountaineers all around the world in various ways. She was the very first woman to be decorated with the "Nepal Tara (Star)" by His Majesty the King. The National Youth Foundation conferred the 1993-94 Youth Excellence Award on her. Similarly, in order to commemorate her feat, a life-size statue of Pasang Lhamu was erected at Bouddha, Chuchepati; a postage stamp was issued in her name; the Government of Nepal renamed Jasamba Himal (7,315 m) in the Mahalangur Range as Pasang Lhamu Peak; the Ministry of Agriculture named a special strain of wheat as Pasang Lhamu wheat; the Pasang Lhamu Memorial Hall was established in Dhulabari of Jhapa district in east Nepal; and the 117- Km Trishuli-Dunche road was named the Pasang Lhamu Highway.
See also
- List of climbers
- List of Mount Everest records
- List of 20th-century summiters of Mount Everest
- Shriya Shah-Klorfine (A Nepali-born Woman who also died on descent, in 2012)
- Lhakpa Sherpa (Nepali born woman with 6 Everest summits)